Dudley Dursley and the Deathly Hallows
by Grey Streaked Fur
Summary: What happend to Dudley and the Dursleys when they left their home to go into hiding? Follow Dudley as he learns, lives and falls in love in the magical world.
1. Chapter 1

A/N: Hi everybody! I really enjoy the idea of this story, I hope you all like it too. I have time to write it now that finals are over...college is icky.

Review wether you love or hate it...I love feedback!

I don't own Harry Potter.

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CHAPTER 1: Merigold Cabin

The Dursley's ride with Hestia Jones and Dedalus Diggle was quite an unpleasant experience, if you must know. Vernon, a rather beefy man that rather resembled a walrus, complete with a bushy mustache, was currently driving the car to a destination unknown to him. Each minute that passed seemed to turn his face an even deeper shade of purple. Hestia, who was giving him directions, seemed to ignore the anger he was radiating.

Petunia wasn't even looking at her husband. She seemed more focused on the passing countryside , the only indicator that anything was amiss was her pursed lips that gave the impression she had been forced to eat a lemon. She seemed deep in thought, and merely sighed when that witch woman told Vernon to turn, separating them further from their Privet Drive home.

Dudley Dursley's mind was swimming with questions. Who was that Moldywart man Harry had mentioned, and why would he want to kill Harry? Would his cousin be on the run? Would he be safe? Dudley never though he would have concerned feelings for the skinny runt he used to beat up as a kid, but after those Dementor things attacked them two summers ago, Dudley saw him in a new light. He truly felt sorry for being so awful to his cousin in the past. What if he never saw Harry again? What if Harry...died? He would never be able to make amends.

He must have looked worried because the short Diggle man gave him a comforting pat on the hand. Dudley quickly glanced to see if his parents had witnessed this act, when he realized they hadn't, he gave the little magic man a thankful smile. Hadn't the strange guy said they were going to become the best of friends? Maybe the little optimist wasn't completely crazy... He seemed nice enough at any rate.

Hours passed, making Dudley begin to wonder how far away this hiding spot really was, they had to be on the other side of the UK by now! Finally, after nearly dying of boredom ( and starvation). Hestia finally spoke words that were music to his ears.

"We're here."

Dudley attempted to see around his father, trying to get a good look at the safe house. Vernon, however was shaking with rage.

" A BLOODY SHACK !" he raged " YOU HAD US DRIVE ALL THIS DAMN WAY TO STAY IN SOME GOD-FORSAKEN SHACK?" The rest of the riders seemed to jump in surprise at his sudden outburst.

Sure enough, once Dudley rolled down the window and leaned out, he got a good look at what was making his father so angry. All that stood in the middle of an overgrown field was a tiny run down hut, not dissimilar to that old place they stayed at years ago when those...wizards kept sending Harry letters. Dudley made a face, but didn't say anything, he wasn't sure what to think of this situation. He looked over to his mother. Petunia was a clean, precise woman who prided in her ability to maintain a clean home. She was also silent but she was twitching slightly at the place they were expected to stay.

Hestia sighed in annoyance, it was obvious she did not enjoy being yelled at. She brought out her wand. (Which caused Dudley to flinch, he wasn't sure if he was going to get over the whole tail incident.) Dedalus followed suit, they whispered a few words under their breaths as the scene in front of them seemed to crumble.

Clear pieces of sky seemed to fall away like shards of glass. Revealing a much different scene hidden behind it. Petunia gasped, Vernon made a funny squeaking noise and Dudley found himself gaping in amazement.

In front of them stood a cottage, free of molding wood and a caving in roof. It was well constructed, and looked well cared for, but is was still quite small. There was a cobble stone path leading to the door, wild flowers of every kind surrounded the path. The ones that stood out were large and bright orange, captivating to look at. It wasn't what he would call a home, but it couldn't be too bad, could it?

" Welcome to Merigold Cabin," Dedalus smiled,that act of magic seemed to have shut Vernon up for the moment but Dudley could tell he was still seething with hatred for, well, everything.

The Dursley family got out of the car to unpack, which normally would have taken a good half hour if Mr. Diggle hadn't levitated the luggage with one swift moment of his wand. Dudley made sure to thank him when neither of his parents spoke up.

"This way," Hestia said, guiding the group over towards the intricately carved front door, flowers lined the border and the carved vines seemed to pop out at them, for a moment he thought one of the wooden flower buds bloom...but it could have been a trick of the light. Hestia knocked on the door three times.

"Yes?" A muffled voice asked from inside the cabin.

" Its us, Hestia Jones and Dedalus Diggle, here with the Dursley family," The witch spoke in a manner Dudley found a bit too formal. Instead of the door opening right away, there was a brief pause and the voice spoke up again.

" When I first asked to join the Order, who was the one who stood up for me?" "Arthur Weasley," Hestia responded. Finally, after that strange exchange of words, the heavy wooden door groaned in protest as it swung open. A slim figure stood in the doorway.

"You!" Petunia shrieked, causing everyone to stare.

* * *

A/N: don't you guys love suspense?


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: Thanks to everyone who reviewed, I really appreciate it!

I found it funny that Reader AZ asked if it was Snape.

My response to that is: ...ehhhhhhhh...

I don't own Harry Potter. If I did, I would not be in college right now...

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Chapter 2: Secrets and News

"You!" Petunia shrieked, causing everyone to stare.

The thin figure stepped out slightly from the shadows of the house out into the lighted outdoors. Dudley was soon staring into the eyes of a girl about his age, possibly older. They were large and ink black, and we're framed by bangs of the same color. Her face was thin and boney, certainly not the most attractive person he had ever came across.

" Have we met before?" she asked in a slightly drawn out accent that he had been unable to notice before when she was behind the door. Dudley supposed she was an American.

All eyes were directed back to Petunia as they waited for an answer.

" You...look like the spitting image of that Snape boy," she sighed, as though relieved that the girl in front of her was not the person Mrs. Dursley thought she was at first glance.

" How do you know him?" she sneered. Dudley wasn't sure if the malice was towards his mum, or the guy named Snape.

Petunia opened and closed her mouth a few times, as though debating wether to continue speaking or not, but apparently she felt it better to keep her mouth shut, refusing to speak again.

There was a moment of uncomfortable silence, he was surprised that the three wizards looked shocked at what his mother said. Who was this Snape fellow? Hestia coughed, breaking some of the tension.

"Miss Petiers, would you like to let us in?"

" Where are my manners?" the girl mumbled before breaking out into a strained smile, " I'm Eve Petiers. Welcome!" she finished, stepping out of the way and gestured them in.

Too hesitant to walk in first, he let Hestia and Dedalus lead they way inside. Slowly he followed behind them, the first of the Dursleys to move forward. When he passed through the open door, he found himself utterly amazed for the second time inless than ten minutes.

The inside was huge, much too big compared to the tiny outside. There was no logical way it was possible. Dudley felt for a fleeting second that maybe magic wasn't all bad as he examined the polished wood floors. Oil lamps filled the hallway entrance, radiating much more light than he would have expected. As they passed by a large painting of fishermen, Petunia screamed with surprise. It was then that he noticed the men on the little boat were waving at them! Something no normal piece of artwork should do.

" Oh, do muggle paintings not move?" Dedalus asked the frightened Mrs. Dursley, who was being comforted by her husband was so angry he looked like he was about to burst. " I was sure I saw some muggle ones before..."

" Those are muggle movies you're thinking of, Mr. Diggle," Eve called from a few feet away.

"Ah, the moving pictures that tell stories...Well Mrs. Dursley, you have nothing to be afraid of, I assure you those fishermen are quite friendly," the small wizard chirped as he continued walking down the hall.

"First, I'll show you your rooms, then I believe a grand tour is in order, " Hestia chimed as she escorted them further into the impossibly large cabin.

* * *

Dudley Dursley was awestruck by the tour, no matter how much his parents disagreed with him. There had been the kitchen, which was full of delicious smells and dishes that cleaned themselves and a broom that was sweeping the floor on its own accord. The library was full of books and reading chairs, some of the books would soar off the shelves and fly like birds to different locations. Dudley grabbed a large leather bound book off the shelf to inspect it, only to have the book scream insults at him when he tried to open it. This caused an embarrising moment of him dropping the book in surprise, and his mum running over to mollycoddle him, while his dad screamed at the witch for attempting to murder his son. It took more than a few minutes to get everyone settled down.

After that incident he had been reluctant to continue but was soon glad he didn't, because the next one they went into had become his favorite.

The lounge seemed to be the most inviting; several soft looking chairs and sofas seemed to beg to be sat in, there was was a roaring fireplace that seemed to be constantly burining without going out. Dudley would have been lying to himself if he said he wasn't dissapointed that there wasn't a television, but that was soon forgotten when he was introduced to the chessboard that was set up in the far corner of the room.

Dudley had never been interested in chess, but once Hestia demonstrated a game of Wizard's Chess, he was hooked. He watched as black night took out a white pawn with the legs of its horse, and then dragged its crumbling remains to the edge of the board and discarded it like trash. He almost had to pry himself away when the tour continued. He couldn't wait to come back to it and happily took Dedalus's offer to play a round or two after dinner.

After meeting every painting and touring the back yard, Dudley was glad to hear that supper would be ready within the hour, he was starving! Hestia suggested he return to his room to wash up and settle down before they ate.

Dudley was pleased that his room at Merigold Cabin was roughly the same size as his one at Number Four Privet Drive. The walls were constructed out of wood, like the rest of the place. The equally wooden floor was covered with a soft grey rug. A large wardrobe stood in the far corner of his room, along with a writing desk next to a small window that overlooked the back yard. His bed was large and comortable. If there was one thing he had to complain about, it was the fact that there was no electricity at all. How was he ever going to be able to get used to a life without it?

With a sigh, he unpacked a few of his belongings, including his set of lifting weights and set them off to the side, he really didn't feel like unpacking at the moment. He flopped on the bed in a lazy lump.

Of course, at that moment there was a knock at the door, Dudley let a groan before answering.

" Yeah?"

"Yo, dinners ready!" Eve's accented voice sounded from the other side of the door.

" I'm coming."

Pulling himself up, he made his way over to the door and opened it, only to discover that Eve was already halfway down the the hall, knocking on his parents door.

" Mr. and Mrs. Dursley, dinner is ready," Dudley couldn't help but notice she had changed her tone when addressing his parents.

The dining table was awkwardly quiet that night. Eve had made a delicious beef stew, that everyone seemed to enjoy. Even Vernon must of liked it because it was the first thing all day he hadn't complained about. Nobody made much noise aside from the occasional slurp and clinking of spoons. Dudley did notice, however, that his mother and Eve were exchanging dark glares with each other from across the table. He wondered if it had to do with that Snape comment Petunia brought up earlier.

Just as everything was being cleared and chocolate cake was being brought out, a bright silvery light bounded into the room. Hestia jumped in surprise dropping the cake, which Eve expertly caught it by waving her wand, causing it to freeze in midair.

Once it reached the center of the table, the light formed into the shape of weasel. Causing Dudley and his parent to jump back in fear. Standing on its hind legs, the silvery animal spoke in voice that was vaguely familiar.

"We were intercepted, somebody knew of the plan. Harry is safe, but Mad Eye is dead. George was injured, but no one else was harmed. Please reply."

With that, the silver weasel dissipated into nothingness. Dedalus frowned, and Hestia let out a choking sob. Eve bowed her head in silence, all relating to the death of Mad Eye, whoever, or whatever that was.

Apparently Vernon didn't pick up on the others sorrow, or if he did he didn't care.

" What the ruddy hell was that?"

" It was a Patronus," Hestia hissed, tears pooling in her eyes. If looks could kill, another man would have died that night.

Vernon was about to say something more, but Dudley elbowed him, keeping him quiet.

" At least Harry and the others are safe," Dedalus sniffed, embracing his friend. Hestia hiccuped and nodded.

" I think dessert should be saved for tomorrow," Eve whispered, levitating the cake over to the counter top. " I think it would be a good idea if we turned in for the night," she finished.

To Dudley's surprise, his mother nodded. Petunia may not be the most understanding person in the world, but she understood grief, and agreed with the tall girl's suggestion.

Ten minutes later, Dudley lay quietly in his room, looking out the window. Thinking about nothing in particular, he watched as a silver Patronus of a goose floated off into the night sky.

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A/N: So, what do you all think so far? Review; I like them like cookie monster loves cookies.

Critiques are fine too, so dont be afraid to point things out to me.

My next post may take a little longer, I'm starting my summer job this weekend.


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: Sorry about some of the grammatical mistakes in my first two chapters. Maybe when I finish this story I will go back and rewrite them. ( I figure this story will be around 10 chapters, maybe more or less) I apologize if they are bothersome ( I probably should stop writing in the middle of the night).

Many thanks to everyone who has reviewed!

I don't own Harry Potter...blah blah...does anyone even read the authors notes? Eh, whatever.

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Chapter 3: Similarities and Differences

Nearly a week had gone by since the Dursley's had began their lives at Merigold Cabin, and Dudley didn't feel that they had gotten off to a good start. Everything seemed to have gone further downhill after the death of Mad Eye...( which he still had no clue who, or what that was).

Vernon was always yelling or complaining about something, and mainly confined himself to his bedroom, only to venture out for meals, which only lead to more complaining. Poor Hestia seemed to have developed a twitch in her left eye over the course of seven days. Dudley felt it must have taken her a lot of inner strength to refrain from turning his father into a toad.

His mother hadn't said much in the past couple of days, she kept to herself most of the time with her husband inside their room, but she sometimes could be found in the kitchen, sipping on a cup of hot tea and staring out the window that overlooked the back garden.

Dudley spent most of his time in the lounge, playing chess with Dedalus. So far he was the only one Dudley was comfortable being around. When he wasn't doing that he would nap on one of the the incredibly comfortable sofas, exercise with his weights or take a stroll around the garden. Things had quickly become dull routine for him.

That's why he was happy now. This afternoon when he was taking a walk down the familiar path of the garden, he found he was not alone. There, in one of the tallest patches of wildflowers was Eve. She was waving her wand around like a knife, cutting the stems of certain flowers that she was choosing carefully. Dudley proceeded with caution, hoping the magical stick didn't accidently sever him.

Dudley hadn't seen Eve all week, excluding supper, which everyone attended. She seemed to keep to herself, hardly even conversing with the other magical residents of the cabin.

" What are you doing?"

Eve looked up, not even bothering to push back the lanky black hair that was covering her eyes.

"What does it look like I'm doing?" she asked, raising and eyebrow.

"Okay, why are you picking flowers?"

" I'm doing Arthur a favor," she replied as she cut the stem of a light pink flower.

" Arthur...that guy that stood up for you or whatever?" Dudley asked, briefly wondering why that Weasle guy was the only one who had stood up for her.

"The same, " she mumbled, finally moving some of her hair out of her eyes. "Could you pick that pale yellow one right next to you for me?" Dudley yanked the yellow wildflower from the ground and handed it over to her.

"Why does he need flowers?" he asked, pulling out another flower of a similar color to hand to her.

" His son is getting married soon, they need some for the wedding," She examined a red one she had just cut and tossed it away. "What better place to get floral decorations than here?"

After a few minutes of assisting, Eve determined that they had enough. She held the large bouquet with her left arm and pointed her wand at them. "Conservro," she muttered while tracing a pattern over over the bushel. They shimmered in the light for a second before returning to normal, looking no different than before.

"What did you just do?"

" I put a preservation charm on them, the weddings next week and some of these flowers have a short blooming season. Picking them now ensures the best bouquet I can produce."

"Oh," Dudley breathed unsure of what else to say.

"I'll be taking these ins-!" Eve managed to say before falling into the weeds, completly out of view. He heard her grumble some choice words before sitting up on her knees.

" Are you alright?" he asked, unsure wether to go over and help or laugh at how disheveled she looked.

"Yeah, but I was tripped by this little demon," Eve explained, holding up a small, wrinkly humanoid form by the ankle. It was rapidly attempting to bite her with its sharp, brown teeth.

"Uggg! What is that?" Dudley frowned, repulsed by the ugly creature.

"It's a garden gnome. They're pretty harmless, but incredibly annoying," He looked at the thing in moderate surprise, weren't gnomes supposed to have white beards and wear colorful hats? Then again he used to think that witches all looked like the one from the Wizard of Oz.

"Hmmph, I thought Mr. Diggle said he de-gnomed the garden before setting up the barriers, I suppose he missed a few," she mused a moment over the thing before giving it a good toss. They watched it sail through the air and fall into another pile of weeds on the other side of the garden.

"Nice throw," Dudley squinted as he watched the ugly creature get up and run deeper into the growth.

" Thanks," Eve said as she examined the flowers in her arms for any damage, "Five years of softball helps," She dusted herself off a bit.

Dudley couldn't help but stare, he hadn't expected that the young witch had ever done anything normal, like playing a sport. She obviously noticed his reaction, and gave him a smirk.

"What, you didn't think I ever participated in muggle activities? Not all witches and wizards grew up in a world of magic," He thought about his cousin for a moment, and felt foolish in his thinking.

" I'm sorry I just thought-" Eve held up a hand cutting him off.

"Don't worry about it, we all make mistakes," she deadpanned. He nodded as they both started walking back to the cabin.

"Do you play any sports?" Eve asked, shifting the bouquet in her arms.

" I did some wrestling and a bit of boxing in school."

"Really? What division?" She asked as Dudley opened the door for them. Together they walked inside to continue their conversation.

* * *

The two of them had been sitting in the lounge talking for the past hour about sports. Well, mostly Dudley talked about his favorite teams and players and moves, while Eve just nodded. Apparently she didn't know much about sports outside of softball, but she seemed interested enough at what he had to say.

"I think you would really like Quidditch," she said after he had passionately explained the rules of football (which she had refused to call it anything but soccer).

"Is that a...magical sport?"

"Mmhhmmm, played on brooms."

"You mean like flying?"

Eve nodded and began to describe the sport, she rushed to the library to grab a book titled 'Quidditch Through the Ages'. She showed him pictures of quaffles, brooms and snitches? Eve explained that the book could tell him anything he ever wanted to know about the sport, claiming she was not the best source of information for this subject.

After a half hour of talking about the magical sport, Dudley set the book aside and promised himself that he would read the rest later before bed. Eve had been right, he did find Quidditch interesting.

" We should probably check to see if dinner is ready. Mr. Diggle is making some of his famous meat pies," she suggested after checking the time on her watch. " I think he trying to lift the mood a bit,"

Dudley though about how sad the wizards had been the past week, even Dedalus was less smiley than he had been before. Mustering a bit of courage, he finally had the guts to ask the question that had been bugging him all week.

"Who was Mad Eye?"

Eve stared at him for a moment, giving him a sad smile.

"His real name was Alastor Moody, Mad Eye was his nickname. I only met him a few times, he was a bit rough around the edges, but from what I heard he was good at his job. Nobody could hunt down dark wizards like he could. He was an important member of the Order, and was well like by everyone in it," she sighed," I can't imagine how awful this must be for Hestia and Dedalus, they have known him for such a long time,"

Dudley felt bad for them andthought about Harry for a moment, the threat of death was very real. That man had died trying to stop the bad guys, what if the same happened to Harry? He expressed his concerns to his new friend. Eve grimaced.

"I think it's time someone told you about your cousin," she whispered as she began to relay the tale that everyone in the wizarding world knew. Much like Eve had been when he had been explaining football, Dudley sat quietly and listened. Horror and fear filled him as the story progress to his school life and the heroic things he had done in his six years at Hogwarts.

"Did you know Harry well?" he asked sadly, feeling horrible for his cousin, hoping that he at least knew nicer people at school than he ever did when he was with the Dursley's.

"Me? No, I've never even met him, I went to the Salem Institue in the States. I just know of his famous adventures like the rest of the magical world."

"Oh."

Just then Dedalus Diggle poked his head into the room, "Dinner is ready!"he said in the most cheerful tone he could manage. The two teens exchanged glances before following the old man into the kitchen.

* * *

That night Dudley tried to read 'Quidditch Through the Ages', but his mind was too occupied to give it much attention. Angerly, he threw the book on the floor and tossed over in his bed. His mind kept wandering to the story of Harry at the Tri-Wizard Tournament, and the death of Cedric Diggory.

He remembered teasing his cousin about his nightmares a few years back, and felt sick to his stomach. He had been poking fun at the death of a person that Harry had witnessed with his own eyes. Dudley had never felt such self loathing before. He restlessly slept that night; when he dreamed, he dreamed of a graveyard and his cousin mourning the death of his classmate.

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A/N: I hope you all liked the chapter. There shall be more to come, hopefully within the next week.

P.S: Reviews are awesome, so feel free to comment!


	4. Chapter 4

A/N: okay folks, time for chapter four...

Thanks for the reviews!

I don't always write Harry Potter fanfiction, but when I do I use a disclaimer.

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Chapter 4: Potions and Parents

"Look alive!"

Dudley turned at the voice, only to be hit square in the face by a decorative couch pillow. He groaned quietly and sank back into the sofa he was sitting on, too tired to care much.

"Rough night?" Eve asked, plopping down next to him. Dudley managed to nod.

"Up reading all night?"

"No, I was just thinking about everything you told me yesterday."

"Oh."

"Everything Harry has gone through, and I bullied him in between it all," Dudley grumbled, trying to stifle a yawn.

"I figured that was the case," Eve said, flicking a fuzz off the arm of the sofa.

"What's that supposed to mean exactly?" Dudley spat, knowing that his lack of sleep was getting to him.

"You look like the bullying type," she replied with a smirk, obviously she knew she was getting under his skin. Well, he wasn't in the mood.

"I used to take lunch money from nerds like you."

They stared at each other silently, Eve's face was expressionless. Finally, she smirked and nodded in approval."Yeah, you're certainly are right about that, but that's all in the past now right?" she asked, studying him.

"Yes," he found himself saying. The Dementors had put an end to that. He yawned again, no longer trying to cover it.

" You want some coffee?" Dudley shook his head. " Of course, you Brits drink tea...would you like a cup?" To this, he nodded. Eve got up to head to the kitchen.

Dudley laid down on the sofa, tired, but still unable to stop his mind from buzzing. He wondered if his cousin and him could start anew, maybe if and when all this crazy stuff was over, if Harry made it out alive. Dudley shuttered.

Eve came back a few minutes later, a steaming cup of tea in her hands. She handed him the tea, which he took graciously, mumbling thanks before taking a large, tounge burning gulp. He made a face, he forgot to ask for sugar and cream. She, however, didn't notice.

"Well, enjoy. I'll see you later, I suppose. I have a potion to brew," She said, turing to leave.

Dudley nearly choked on his tea, the first things to come to mind were poisons and brews that turned people into newts and stuff. "What kind of potion?" he whispered, not sure if he would like the answer.

"One for migraines, Hestia and I both get them on occasion, but we ran out after Hestia used the whole damn bottle in a week," They both shared a smile, it was easy to determine why. " Would you like to join me?"

Dudley had not been expecting an invitation to such an activity. He took another sip of the hot beverage.

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah, come on, I'll show you how to make make one if you would like. You don't usually need magic to make a potion," Eve pointed out. Dudley sighed.

"Sure, I guess I'll give it a try."

Eve smiled for the first time that he had seen. It was a true, pearly white grin. The smile made her look kinder and even a bit prettier. He wondered why she didn't smile more often.

* * *

"Alright, now add a vile of crushed wolfsbane," Eve finished, closing the large Potions book. Dudley poured the contents of the small, glass vile into the bubbling pot in front of him. He had never expected when he agreed to join her that he would actually be making it. Eve claimed he would learn better by doing than just be showed.

"Now we just let it simmer for about five minutes and we are done," Eve said peering into the cauldron, "Not bad at all rookie; you did better than most second years," She patted him on the shoulder.

"Really?" Dudley asked, feeling quite accomplished at the moment. Eve gave him another toothy smile as a reply.

"I would like to learn more sometime," he said as after they collected the potion in a large bottle.

Eve was smiling so much Dudley wondered if her face would get stuck like that.

* * *

The next few days the two of them spent their mornings brewing, Dudley found it be be pretty okay, it beat sitting around doing nothing all day, that was for sure. It wasn't exciting like wizards chess, but it was more fun than any class he had to sit through in school.

Sometimes the potion they were making would require time to settle, in that time Eve would tell him about classes that she had taken, explaining them in the most basic terms so that he could understand them better.

"Last year, my final year, I had Potions, Charms, Transfiguration and Herbology," she said, counting off on her fingers. " The last two years you pick certain classes for whatever field you want to go into,"

"What do you want to do?"

"Become a Healer," Eve answered, Dudley nodded. He had learned that Healers were essentially magical doctors. "Or possibly open my own Apothecary...selling potion ingredients and such," she explained.

Dudley felt his stomach grumble, he had not eaten this morning. Eve seemed to have heard it and chuckled. "The Burn Healing potion still has another twenty minutes to sit before we can continue, would you like me to go make us some toast?"

"That would be great," Dudley's stomach growled in agreement.

"Alright, be back in a few."

Dudley sat watching the potion for a minute or so, his eyes wandered around the small cellar that he didn't know existed until the other day. Apparently, Hestia and Dedalus never thought he would have a reason to go down here. He spotted some newt eyes floating in a jar and a large sack of Gerdy roots, nothing really interesting. Bored, he flipped through the book _Potions: Year Two, _mindlessly glancing at some of the moving pictures. As he flicked through the Acknowledgment pages, he found a picture that made him do a double take.

A picture of a man stared up at him, unlike some of the other credited wizards and witches, he did not wave to the viewer. Instead, he glared up at Dudley with dark, black eyes which were cold and expressionless. His hair was black and lanky, his build tall and slim; he looked almost exactly like Eve, or more like she looked like him, minus the large, hooked nose. The caption underneath the photo read:

_Severus Snape_

_Potions Master at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry_

_Graciously revised and edited the American Potions Books Years 1-3 textbooks_

Dudley gaped down at the man, who mearly sneered in return. This had to be the 'Snape boy' his mother had mentioned! Eve had to be related to this man, their similarities were striking.

"What are you doing?"

Dudley jumped nearly a foot in the air; Eve stood behind him with her arms folded. He couldn't seem to figure out how she had managed to walk in with him hearing her. She did not look very happy.

"Just looking at this Potions book...Do you know him?" Dudley asked, pointing to the sneering picture.

Eve's eyes narrowed and hesitate before saying, "No." It didn't seem very convincing.

"Are you su-"

"YES!" She all but yelled, her voice echoing in the small cellar. They stared at each other in a heated silence until Eve cleared her throat.

"I think you should stop brewing for the rest of today. I'll take care of the rest."

Dudley hardly had anytime to object before he was being forced out of the small room. The cellar door slammed shut behind him. He looked over his shoulder once before walking away.

What was so taboo about this Snape character?

* * *

A/N: Sorry this chapter turned out to be complete character development between Dudley and Eve. I promise the next chapter will be a bit more exciting.

Please Review, it makes me feel loved. XP


	5. Chapter 5

A/N: Thanks for all the reviews!

Thanks to Arrowkid21 for their review: I agree that chapter four was a bit rushed, I didn't like it very much. So, I have changed the ending of that chapter. I have decided that Eve will reveal more about herself in a later chapter. So, for those who have already read the old chapter four, read the new one. And for new readers: enjoy!

I don't own Harry Potter

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Chapter 5: Brooms and Wedding Blues

Hestia and Dedalus were all in a tizzy over the wedding of Mr. Weasley's son Bill and his fiancé Fleur, even though they could not attend. Which Dudley thought was a bit stupid.

They reminisced over the once little Weasley boy that was now grown and ready to marry. Hestia was even making a special dinner that night with champagne to toast the new couple. Which Dudley _certainly_ thought was stupid.

Eve wasn't as excited about the wedding, as she didn't know the bride and groom like the other two wizards did, but she was a bit chipper than usual. She was a little giddy over the fact that some of the flowers she had picked earlier that week were going to be part of the brides bouquet and seemed quite proud of herself.

Dudley was glad that the other days events seemed to have been forgotten; Eve was acting as usual and didn't seem angry with him anymore. This fact was proved when she agreed to play a game of Wizards Chess with him. While they played, she made chit chat.

"Hestia says they are planning on having dinner outside tonight," Eve mentioned over their game, (And though Dudley would not admit it, she was deffinatly winning.) She kept on talking after that, but he had stopped listening

"Hmmmm," he shrugged, not looking up from the bord. "Pawn to G three," The black pawn moved to the open space to protect his queen. The queen was shouting up to him about his lack of strategy claiming it would have been better to move her out of the way instead. His other pieces were nodding and calling out in agreement.

"She is right you know," Eve chuckled, "Rook to B seven...Check," the castle moved over a space, ready to attack his king.

"Err...king to A one..." Dudley sighed, not sure what to do at this point. His pieces groaned in protest. As much as he liked this game, he wasn't very good at it.

Eve gave a sly smile as she looked at the bord. " Bishop to G seven, and I believe that is checkmate,"

Dudley's king threw his sword to ground in anger as his queen yelled that Dudley shouldn't have blocked her in. He cringed at her high pitched voice. He scooped up his screaming pieces and shoved them in a drawer, sick of listening to them.

Eve leaned back in her chair with a content look on her face.

"So, do you want to help set up?"

"Huh?" Dudley said with a confused look on his face, maybe he should have paid attention to what she had been saying. Eve rolled her eyes.

"Come on," she grumbled. She roughly grabbed him by the shirt sleeve and dragged him out of the room.

* * *

Dudley watched as Eve transformed a rather large stone from the back yard into an outdoor table. He watched in both amazement and fear as the rock morphed into a plain grey table. When he gathered up the courage to touch it he found it still had a stony like texture.

"Hmmm," She mused looking at her work, "I think we should get some real chairs; I personally don't think I can make some comfortable chairs from rocks," Dudley nodded in agreement as he continued to brush his hand against the transfigured table.

"Go see if there is some in the shed we can fix up, that certainly would be easier. I'm going to see if Hestia needs help in the kitchen," with that Eve walked off leaving him alone.

Dudley groaned, he was not used to doing household duties or any laboring tasks. Eve had a habit of setting him up into doing things to help out. It wasn't the first time she had done that, and he had a feeling it wouldn't be the last. He muttered to himself angerly as he trudged over to the tiny shed in the far corner of the back yard.

It took two good pulls to force the door open, creaking loudly as it swung outward. It was dusty and small and home to numerous cobwebs. His first reaction was to flee the disgusting little space, but he took a step in to locate any chairs. A quick once over told him there were none. Dudley groaned again, annoyed that he walked all the way there for nothing. Irritated, he turned to leave, but stopped.

There, right next to the door, were a few old brooms, leaning against the slowly rotting wood of the door frame. They looked different from the regular sweeping ones he was used to. They had to be Qidditch brooms like the ones in the book he read! He wondered if muggles could fly them...

Anxious, he grabbed one. He was disappointed when nothing happened, then again he wasn't sure what to expect. Maybe it would work if he tried to use it. Stepping outside with the old broom, he looked around to make sure no one had come outside or could see him from the back windows. If it didn't work, he would just throw the stupid thing back into the shed and no one would be the wiser.

Quckly he grasped the broom like he had read in the book, placing one hand over the other. Then he mounted it, just like he recalled the moving picture on page twelve. Double checking to make sure nobody was around, he jumped.

Next thing he knew he was shooting past the rest of the world and he couldn't seem to stop. Dudley shot past two trees and right through a bunch of weeds, but was not slowing down. He tried to scream, but no sound cam out.

"Hey did you find any chairs?" Eve called as she turned the corner to the back yard, just as Dudley flew past her, narrowly missing her head. " WOAH! Watch it!" she called out behind him.

The broom seemed to be going faster than before. He attempted to steer it around or even into the ground. Anything that would just get him to stop!

"Hey, be careful you're headed straight towards that-" there was a loud unpleasant crunching sound. "-tree ," she finished, running over to help him.

* * *

Dudley considered himself lucky that he only had a giant bruse that covered the outside of both his arms, which he had used to block the rest of his body. The ancient broom was little more than splinters after it collided with the large oak tree.

He and Eve had managed to sneek in without his parents noticing the state of his arms, which they both know would have lead to chaos. They figured the last thing they needed today was roaring Vernon and a sobbing Petunia.

"Here," Eve tossed a bottle full of brownish liquid at him once they reached the cellar. "This should take care of that monstrosity forming on your arms,"

"What am I supposed to do exactly?" He asked, unstoppering the bottle. It smelt terrible, he refused to put that stuff anywhere near his mouth.

"Rub it on the bruse, dummy," Eve told him, slamming the cupboard doors that held numerous other potions and ingredients.

Reluctantly he poured some of the muddy substance into his hand. "Disgusting!" Hesitantly he took a small handful and slathered it onto one of his injured arms. As he rubbed, it began to sink into his skin. The affected area tingled slightly, the pain in his arm slowly disappeared, the bruse that was forming seemed to have vanished. Amazed, he began doing the same to the other one.

"I didn't think it would actually fly for me," He said, stoppering the bottle when he finished.

"It must have been a very old model, possibly even home made. Nearly half a century ago there was a law passed that all brooms needed to have a charm that protected muggles from their rogue magic," Eve replied. She took the now half empty bottle from him and placed it back in the cupboard . " It should be mentioned somewhere in that book I gave you."

"I guess I haven't gotten that far yet," Dudley said, regretting that he didn't finish reading _Quidditch through the Ages _before hopping on a broom._  
_

"I take it there weren't any chairs in the shed?" Eve asked, remembering why she had sent him there in the first place.

"No."

"Damn, well I guess I'll ask Dedalus to conjure some up some chairs," Dudley heard her mumble something else about hating asking for help.

* * *

Hestia and Dedalus seemed to have gone all out on their little dinner that had made. There was turkey, potatoes, biscuits and gravy and a wide array of vegetables. Dudley was starving when they sat down to eat dinner. It was delicious.

Everyone seemed in good spirits, even his parents were more pleasant than usual. Well, at least his father was barely complaining and his mother wasn't making too many snide remarks.

There was plenty of conversation going on as well. Hestia and Eve were listening to an over excited Dedalus, who was describing a humerous moment at a wedding he had been to years ago. His parents were quietly scoffing at the wizards conversation. Dudley took this oppertunity to add seconds to his plate.

After everyone had eaten a filling amount (topped with a piece of blackberry pie), his parents got up and left. They looked at Dudley, expecting him to follow. Not wanting to cause a scene on a day like this, he shuffled behind them. He gave the others a sympathetic look before heading inside. He held open the door for his parents, being the last to enter the cabin. The last thing he heard before closing the door behind him was Dedalus's voice.

"A toast! To the new bride and groom; we wish them the best!"

* * *

Dudley sat on his bed, lifting a weight with one hand while he held the Qudditch book with the other. He switched on and off until the daylight trickled away. When there was no longer enough light to read by he set down the book. He wondered if they were still celebrating outside.

He glanced at his digital wristwatch; it was 9:32 pm July 31st. He stared at the date for a moment, feeling that it should ring a bell, but he couldn't put his finger on it. With a sigh, Dudley got up and headed over to his dresser to change for bed. It may have been early, but the whole flying incident had worn him out.

Just as he was about to crawl under the covers, he caught movement from the corner of his eye. He turned to the window to see another silvery light, not dissimilar to the one he saw his first night at Merigold Cabin, only this one was in the form of some type of cat. He had a feeling it was bringing the small group outside some bad news.

A few minutes later he heard the front door slam and the sound of hushed crying and frantic whispers. Unsure wether to check it out or not, Dudley just sat there listening to the depressing sounds fade to the other side of the home.

It was then that he rememberd that July 31st was Harry's birthday.

He hoped his cousin was okay.


	6. Chapter 6

A/N: Finally, FINALLY! Finished this chapter. For some reason this one was harder than I thought it was going to be, but I believe the next one will be easier (I actually have an outline for it)

Thanks to your reviews, they make the next chapters worth writing!

I only claim Eve as my own, the rest belong to Jk Rowling.

* * *

Chapter 6: A Changing World

It was the stickiest, muggiest, most horrid August 1st that Dudely Dursely could recall. He hadn't slept very well the night before, his mind had been racing all night, refusing to let him sleep until the early hours of the morning. He awoke only a few hours later to the bright sun peering in his window. Dudley groaned as he looked down at his watch; it was just after ten in the morning and already the air was hot and heavy.

Knowing that there was no way he was going to fall back asleep in this weather, he peeled the sheets off of his sweaty arms and crawled out of bed. Even the smooth wood floor he stepped onto was unusually warm on the bottom of his feet. He wiped the perspiration that had formed on his forehead off and licked his incredibly dry lips. Thirsty, still tired, and already in a bad mood, Dudley stumbled to the kitchen feeling more parched than he ever had been in his life.

Entering the kitchen, he saw the rest of the residents at Merigold cabin had already inhabited the small room. And all of them- aside from his parents- looked like they hadn't slepted at all. Hestia's normally well kept hair was a frizzy mess, bairly maintained by a ribbon. She glanced at Dudley as he walked in, but didn't even attempt to greet him. Dedalus looked years older, his wrinkles were more prominent and the usually perminate smile he had was reduced to a very depressing frown. Eve appeared to be the least affected of the three, but there were dark circles under her eyes, and Dudley was pretty certain she had on the same clothing as yesterday.

Dudley sat down at the table next to his mum, who smiled weakly up at him but didn't speak. He knew something was really wrong if even she was quiet. His mind, sluggish from lack of sleep, slowly remembered the Patronus that he had seen last night. He knew it had to be the source of whatever was going on. Dudley glanced over at his father; he was the only one eating breakfast, but even he remained silent. He sat there a few moment, waiting for someone to tell him what was happening, or to just say anything, something that would at least ease the tension radiating in the room. He waited a few more painfully long minutes, looking around a everyone. Nobody said a word.

Unable to take the uncomfortable silence any longer, and being already moody; Dudley angerly got out of his chair, it made a terrible scratching sound across the wood floor, and stormed out of the room. If nobody was going to tell him anything, well then they could stick it where the sun doesn't shine. He heard his mum call after him, but he callously ignored her.

Dudley walked to his bedroom. Hot, tired, moody and now angry, he grabbed a change of clothes and headed towards the bathroom at the end of the hall. Maybe things would get better if he took a shower.

* * *

Hours later he lay in the back garden under a tree, the same one he had crashed into the day before. There were bits of bark missing from the impact site. Surprisingly the outdoors were cooler because of the breeze, while the inside remained stuffy and sweltering. Apparently wizards didn't believe in air conditioning.

Dudley had been avoiding everyone since this morning, most people could say he was pouting over the fact that he was being left in the dark, he felt it was just an easy form of expression. No matter what way someone looked at it, Dudley was just glad he didn't have to deal with anyone on such disgusting day. So what if he was being left out of some obviously critical knowledge? He didn't care anymore.

_"Just keep telling yourself that," _he said to himself, as he rolled over to fiddle with his small hand held radio that he had since he was a kid. It was the only electronic thing he owned that seemed to work in the presence of magic, but instead of the usual boring weather forecast or football station, the thing picked up Quidditch matches and weird songs he had never heard before, all seeming to be hosted by the Wizarding Wireless Network. He had become used to the strange topics but he couldn't ignore the fact that he could never find the same shows on the same stations, they always seemed to be changing.

He eventually found a clear station between 101 and 102. It was some political guy talking about political things. The same as regular politics; just as boring but with magic. He was about to reach to find a different station when he registered what the man was saying. He froze in his tracks.

**"- and the Ministry of Magic will not rest until we have captured Harry Potter and questioned him for the murder of Albus Dumbledore."**

The voice then changed over to another man's voice. It was deep and wheezy while the prior one had been strong and defined.

**" That was the new Minister Thicknesse; cracking down on vigilantes, and magic stealing muggleborns. He will strive ****to keep the wizarding country safe during such a dark time. I'm Zachariah Bulstrode, here at the Ministry. Good day, everyone."**

The channel dropped off into static, but Dudley didn't stick around to hear it. He ran towards the cabin, leaving the small device amongst the blades of grass.

Dudley bolted through the front door, as fast as his large form could move. He still wasn't all that great of a runner, and the heat of the day made it all the more difficult. By the time he reached the kitchen, he was out of breath and a tad dizzy. His mother and Hestia, the only ones in the room at the moment, both jumped as he came barreling through the door.

"What's wrong sweetie?" his mother cried.

"Harry...wanted...murder..." Dudley wheezed as she rushed over to him.

"Sit down in the chair dear, I'll get you something to drink," she said as she guided him to sit down in her own seat. His mother turned to walk to the sink, only to find that Hestia had prepared and levitated a glass of water without ever leaving the table.

Dudley watched the anger his mother seemed to radiate at the witch and the floating glass. She seized the drink and threw it to the ground. It shattered into shimmering pieces all over the kitchen floor.

"I am perfectly capable of getting my own son a drink," she spat venomously at Hestia, whom simply shrugged as though she had no desire to start a conflict. She sighed and waved her wand; the shards of glass sprung up from the ground and stuck themselves up together, good as new.

"Here, sweetie," his mum said, holding a new glass in front of him. He graciously took it from her and gulped it down; water had never tasted so good. Though he couldn't help but feel annoyed that his mother had destroyed a perfectly fine cup of water, just in spite of the magic. "Now tell mummy what's wrong."

Dudley couldn't help but roll his eyes in mild disgust; one thing he could not stand about his mother was that she seemed to think that he was perpetually five years old. Years ago he used to use that to his advantage, but now it was just plain annoying. Ignoring it like he usually did, he answered her.

" I was listening to the Wiz-errr, _their _radio, when some guy began talking about Harry, and how he was wanted for murder. But their wrong, I thought everyone knew he didn't do that, I thought he was a hero. What is going on?" he managed to say all in one breath.

Petuina Dursley just stared at her son as she went slightly pale.

"Don't worry about it Dudders, it's just som-"

"No."

The two of them turned to Hestia; her fists were clenched in anger, apparently she would not stand for his mother's lie. She rose her glaring eyes from the far side of the table, to the pair of them.

"No," she repeated," There is something wrong and he deserves to know just as much as you do." Dudley couldn't help but smile at her. At least she didn't think he was an ignorant child.

His mother both looked baffled and outraged by her sudden outburst, she placed a hand protectivly on Dudley's shoulder.

"Dudley, let's head back to our rooms, that last thing you need is to be worried over something that doesn't affect us."

At her words Dudley swatted her hand away, "Even if it doesn't, it affects Harry. I have to know what is going on," Obviously it affected the wizards of Merigold Cabin, and they were the ones keeping his family safe...there was no way he could not be affected by this news.

Hestia gave him a look he had never seen her give to him before, it was an expression of hope, as though she had seen something about him she hadn't before. Dudley wasn't completly sure what she had seen.

"Please mum," he whispered hoarsely, " I'm not a little kid anymore." She looked down at him, her expression unreadable. Finally, she gave him a curt nod; silently admitting her defeat. She knew Dudley always got what he wanted in the end.

Hestia cleared her throat and told him all she knew.

* * *

He was outside again, underneight the same tree he had been earlier, his radio remained off in the grass a few feet from him. The evening had brought slightly cooler weather; the muggy, sticky grossness of the afternoon was being disrupted by a very light breeze. It felt good to be outside, away from everyone else.

Dudley hadn't spoken to another person the rest of the day; he had spent the entire afternoon out in the garden trying to grasp the reality of what was happening in the outside world. If Voldemort has taken over the British wizarding world, then what was stopping him from destroying the muggle one? What would happen to all those innocent people that would die, never understanding what was even happening? Should he be lucky or unfortunate for knowing what was probably to come for his world?

"Mind if I join you?"

Dudley jerked upright, looking straight into the familiar pair of black eyes. Eve stared down at him, her arms folded. She had changed her clothing at some point and was actually wearing normal clothes; shorts and a black shirt.

"...No..."

Eve plopped down in the grass next to him and they stared at the slowly darkening sky for a while. They watched as the stars started to come out. Eve took this oppertunity to point out certain constellations, while Dudley only half listened. Why was it that even at a time like this, Eve was still trying to teach him things? He snapped at her after getting sick of her voice, which instantly shut her up. They spent the rest of their sky watching in silence, leaving him more time to think. It had to have been at least an hour before Dudley found some of his thoughts escaping.

"Do you think my cousin is okay?" Eve turned her head towards the source that broke the silence. She stared directly into his eyes for a moment, making him suddenly feel uncomfortable. Relief filled him when she turned her gaze back to the heavens. She didn't answer for several minutes.

" I don't see why not," Dudley watched as she sat up and got to her feet. "Obviously he hasn't been captured by Death Eaters, that world have been know publicly by now. Besides, he seems to be quite the survivor. I'm sure he and his friends have found a place to lay low for a while."

"What happens if Harry is caught?" He asked, getting up to join her back inside the cabin.

Eve looked him in the eye a second time, this time her own eyes held a mix of sorrow and fear. "Pray to whoever you believe in that that doesn't happen.

"It's going to get worse from here on out, isn't it?

"Yes," Eve said without hesitation. "I have a feeling it will, before it ends."

"Don't you mean _if _it ends?"

"No," she whispered as they approached the back end of the cabin, the lights from the kitchen pooled light onto the grass in front of them. "Something will end in this war, the question is; what will be ended?"

At the moment Dudley hated this day more than any other he could think of, but he couldn't help feel that someday he was going to wish this day and all the days he knew before it wouldn't have ended quite so fast.


	7. Chapter 7

A/N: Sorry for not posting in a long time, I have had difficulty writing this chapter, but the plus side I have almost completed the next one as well. Sorry for keeping you all waiting.

* * *

Chapter 7: The September Surprise

Dudley sat on the floor of his room, his back against his bed reading the last chapter of 'Quidditch through the Ages', his mouth forming each word he read across the page. After nearly a month and a half of having the book in his possession, he was finally, FINALLY, finishing it and with that accomplishment came a sense of pride. Dudley couldn't remember the last time he read an entire book; he never even bothered with the ones required for school. He usually hated reading.

Dudley had spent most of the month of August by himself; the Death Eaters overtake of the wizarding government had put the magical residents of Merigold Cabin on edge. The tension was so strong that he couldn't hang around any of them without becoming anxious. Most of the time he spent in his room lifting weights or listening to the radio, and if he was really daring he would poke around Eve's little potions lab just to annoy her. She was especially out of sorts lately, becoming rude and snappish with everyone.

The only time he wasn't alone was during supper; everyone attended it religiously, as though they all seemed to mutually agree on having occasional human contact to keep themselves sane. There would even be occasional conversations at the table, even ones that his father didn't dish out insults. Dudley felt more relaxed during these times, even if they were short lived.

Dudley flipped to the last page of the book, reading about the latest and fastest broom on the market; the Firebolt. His stomach did an unsettling flip. After being hurled into a tree by an ancient broom, he had no desire to think of one that could go a hundred times faster. Closing the book he slowly stood up and stretched. He retrieved his watch from the beside table to check the time. It was already four in the afternoon and he hadn't left his room since lunch. His eyes quickly glanced at the the smaller set of numbers below the time. He had gone all day without realizing it was the beginning of September. August had felt like everyday had been melted into a single long day, one he never thought would end.

He walked to the small library, not seeing or hearing anyone else on his way. Even the library itself was empty, unless he counted the flying books that lazily soared from shelf to shelf. He ducked underneath one as it nearly flew into his face, he found an empty space on a shelf and nestled it between a huge tattered one and a smaller blue one that emitted a strange humming sound. He quickly jerked his hand back, still fearful one might turn around and bite him.

It wasn't until he poked his head in the kitchen that he saw somebody. Hestia was cooking, and looked happy for the first time in weeks. Dudley raised an eyebrow; the last time Hestia made a large meal it was ruined by the terrible news of the overthrown Magical Ministry. Hestia must have sensed him standing in the door way because she looked over her shoulder, and gave him a small smile. Dudley took a step forward.

" What's the occasion?" he asked, pointing at all the food being prepared, his eyes following the motion of the enchanted kitchen knife chopping up potatoes.

" You'll see," Hestia said in dismissal, politely trying to shoo him out of the room.

"You, err, need any help?" He asked hopefully, wondering if he could weasel an answer or two from her.

This time Hestia raised an eyebrow, and shook her head.

"No, I'm all set," she responded with a slight air of suspicion, as though she knew what he was trying to do. "I'll call when it's ready."

Annoyed, Dudley traveled furthur down the hall towards the front door. He waved a bit reluctantly to the painting of the fishermen, whom were eagerly waiting for him to respond to their excited calls and friendly waves, and walked out to the front garden.

The front garden was much smaller than the one in back, but it had more of the red-orange Merigolds than the other. He watched as they swayed back and forth despite the fact there was no wind at the moment. No longer surprised by some of the less crazy magic in the place, he mearly glanced at them as though every flower possessed that odd quirk.

Dudley's stomach suddenly gave out a loud growl, maybe he should have grabbed something from the kitchen before leaving. Hestia didn't mention when dinner would be ready. He hoped it was sooner rather than later.

Wanting to take his mind off of food and kill time, he grabbed a rock from the ground and chucked it straight ahead. He watched as it whizzed past an old stump before hitting the invisible barrier with a funny sizzling noise. It fell straight to the ground going no furthur.

Dudley had discovered the humor of the barrier about a week ago, (or had it been two?) when he had thrown a gnome in that general direction. It had hit the wall so hard that it had been knocked unconscious. Dudley had panicked for a moment, wondering if he had accidently killed it, but after he gave it a few good prods with a nearby stick, it lept up and ran away comically, stumbling and tripping on roots and branches. He had to wonder if the thing told its ugly friends about the incident because he hadn't seen a single one wondering around since then.

He chucked a few more stones at the invisible wall, wondering if it was possible to be able to throw a rock hard enough that it would pass through. He had been trying for days, but it had yet to work. There was a large pile-up of rocks and pebbles at the edge of barrier because Dudley was too afraid to go near it, if it made the rocks sizzle, then what would it do to his skull?

After a while he became bored and his throwing arm started to hurt, he sat down in the grass, debating wether he wanted to go and grab his radio from inside, just to have some noise. He really hated not having television.

He had just gotten up when he heard a popping sound, it was very faint and echoey, like it was miles off, Dudley turned towards the source, and gave out a yelp of surprise.

There, not even seven meters away, stood three people on the other side of the barrier. They looked slightly muddled in color, as did everything on the the other side of the barrier, but he didn't stick around to look closer at them. He booked it back to the cabin to warn the others; what if there were going to be attacked?

He swung open the front door, nearly knocking Dedalus over, who was just on the other side of it.

"There are people out there!" he cried out "they just appeared out of nowhere!"

Dedalus stood tip toes to see over Dudley's broad shoulder, looking at the three strangers beyond the wall. He let out a gleeful chuckle.

"My dear boy, there is no need to be alarmed; these gentlemen are welcome guests and old friends. But I am glad to see you are willing to act if an emergency were to arise," He gave Dudley a pat on the shoulder. "Come on, let's welcome them together!"

He followed Dedalus to the yard, and watched as he took out his wand and whispered a few words. A small portion of the wall fell away like shattered glass. The three people stepped through the hole before it was sealed up again.

One was an older gentleman, with dark skin and a gold ear ring and wore light blue robes, which Dudley felt could rival Dedalus's lime green one in ridiculousness.

The other two were much younger, only a couple years older than himself. One was shorter and wore his dark hair in dreadlocks, while the other was tall, red haired and freckled. He felt like he recognized him. The red haired boy turned to look at him, Dudley had to hold back a gasp when he saw the gaping hole where his ear should have been. The boy gave him a sly grin before focusing on Dedalus.

The four wizards quickly exchanged some strange questions: "What is Kingsley's favorite color?" "How many lumps of sugar does George take in his tea?" Weird things like that. Dudley found it hard to concentrate on them when he was spending his time trying to avert his gaze from the guy's missing ear. He did briefly wonder however, why every wizard he met asked each other odd questions as a form of greeting. Maybe he would ask one of them later.

"This here is Dudley," Dudley snapped out of his trance and gave the trio a weak smile, " Harry's cousin."

The older man, who's name turned out to be Kingsley, gave Dudley an acknowledging nod. The guy in dreadlocks, Lee Jorden, shook his hand. The ear-less guy gave a knowing smile.

" I remember you, you had a sample of our Ton-Tongue Toffee," George said as a form or re-introduction. Dudley felt the color drain from his face. He remembered that candy almost killed him a few years back. Dudley balled up his fists; he suddenly had the urge to make another hole in the ginger's head. But George just continued to grin, oblivious to his anger.

Dudley was pretty sure this was the surprise Hestia was talking about, and he wasn't sure that he was going to enjoy it.


	8. Chapter 8

A/N: Many apologies to everyone that has been following this story, I have had to attend this time consuming thing called college that has sucked 90% of my time up. I have finally had enough time to finish this chapter. I believe this is the longest chapter I have posted so far, so I hope that makes up for lack of updates. I will not give up on this story and I hope you won't give up on waiting. Thanks for being patient.

Please read and review. Your inputs are greatly appreciated!

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Chapter 8: Potterwatch

Hestia already had the table set when the group walked in together. The room was filled with wonderful scents, which was good, Dudley was starving! When Hestia saw the visitors she ran to greet them with hugs, giving George an extra long one when she noticed his ear. The small room was suddenly full of sound and voices, it was a little too much for him after nearly two months of near seclusion.

"You would think they had invited twenty people by the noise in here," a voice mumbled in his ear. Dudley glanced at Eve, whom just seemed come from nowhere.

" Ah, Ms. Petiers, you've finally emerged from the cellar. Good to see you again!" Dedalus joked giving her a good-hearted pat on the back. "You've already met Kingsley, of course. This is George Weasley and Lee Jordan."

George broke away from Hestia's embrace to look over his shoulder, his eyebrows raised in mild surprise. Lee also seemed to be quite stunned, for his dark eyebrows were raised so high they touched his hairline.

"I have heard about you," George said as they loosely shook hands. Eve's eyes were fixated on the boy's missing ear for a few long moments before politely turning her gaze back to the center of his face.

"Likewise," Eve merely said before turning to shake hands with Lee. There was an awkward silence between the three of them, the two boys were staring at her cautiously, as though they thought she would suddenly attack them. Dudley frowned; Eve wasn't that terrifying.

There was a sudden gasp that came from behind him, breaking the sudden tension. He turned to see his mum, her face drained of all color. She pulled Dudley away from George instinctively; apparently she hadn't forgotten about his giant tongue either. His father's face was slowly turning a deep shade of purple, (not unlike Dudley's tongue had been that terrible night). He was about to open his mouth when Hestia sent him a Don't-you-dare-cause-a-scene-or-I'll-make-your-life-a-living-nightmare-if-you-ruin-this-evening glare, causing him to only mumble angrily. Dudley felt his dad might be finally starting to understand who was running the show around here.

Hestia's glare suddenly melted away as she looked at everyone else. "Well, I just finished dinner. Why don't we all take a seat?" She suggested, grabbing the chair nearest to her and sitting down.

Dudley was not used to having dinner around such a crowded table, much less a lively one. Dudley found himself next to Lee, who wasn't all that bad. Lee loved telling jokes almost as much as Dedalus did, and Dudley had to force himself to laugh even though he didn't think there was anything funny about the Witch the Hag and the _Mimbulus mimbletonia_. (He wasn't even sure what the latter was...) His parents scoffed at their freakish form of humor. Everyone else, however, groaned like it was corny knock knock joke.

"So George," Dedalus asked. "Why isn't Fred joining us this evening?"

Dudley wasn't exactly sure who Fred was but he had a feeling it was George's twin brother. He remembered them both scurrying away as his tongue turned purple and started to grow at an alarming rate. Mr. Weasley had to calm them all down enough so he could fix Dudley's tongue. He hoped the twins received punishment like Arthur promised he would give them.

George swallowed the spoon full of mashed potatoes in his mouth before responding." He stayed behind to watch over the joke shop, business has been slowing down lately, but we still are keeping our doors open."

They had opened a joke shop? If they were selling things like that candy he ate, they were sociopaths, who would ever buy that stuff?

"That's a bit of a pity," Hestia frowned, prodding a bit of stuffing with her fork. "but it's good to know your business is still running." Every magical person at the table solemnly nodded, the heavy fear from the world seemed to suddenly settle around the table. Dudley shifted uncomfortably in his seat, it groaned in protest.

" So Kingsley, I understand there is some sort of project you and Mr. Jordan have started," Dedalus stated, moving the conversation in a different direction. The quiet man looked up from his serving of ham.

"It was Lee's idea; starting up a radio show for those on our side. We aired our first show last week."

Dudley made a face, he had been listening to the radio everyday since the beginning of August and he had never heard either of their voices on any of the working stations.  
"We apologize that we haven't been able to give you the first password to our station, but our methods of communication have been harder to produce since many of us are being watched," Kingsley said in a deep, rumbling voice.

"What is the purpose of this radio show?" Eve asked, speaking for the first time since they had sat down to eat.

"We tell the truth about everything that has been happening," Lee said, "We are the only ones not covering up lies, aside from the Quibbler."

"What's the Quibbler?" Dudley asked, to the surprise of both of his parents. His mother went pale and placed a protective hand on her son, as though she was expecting him to be attacked for speaking.

"It's a magazine that used to publish crazy rubbish, like articles on nargles or Crumple horned Snorkacks," George explained, "but recently they have been posting everything about what's really going on."

Dudley nodded as though he understood, he waited until the conversation transitioned back to the radio show before nudging Eve across the table with his foot. When they made eye contact Dudley mouthed, What's a nargle? Her only response was a simple shrug and a swift kick to the shin.

Dudley hissed in pain only to quickly cover it with a cough after everyone turned to look at him. He gave Eve a seething glare. She bobbed her head slightly towards the conversation as if to say he should be paying attention to what was being said.

"...So, I think we should set up here in the kitchen, it's got enough room to set up the speakers and the microphones." Lee suggested.

Dudley had no idea what was going on at this point. He had missed the rest of the conversation. What was with the microphones? We're they airing their show here?! Dudley looked to Eve for help, only to be met with a smug smile. Dudley viciously stabbed a stray carrot on his plate in his frustration.

Well, at least he would find out sooner or later.

* * *

Dudley hardly recognized the kitchen when he walked in later that evening, the dining table had been invaded by a microphone, a large radio and hand written notes. The microphone was cordless but Dudley had a strong feeling it was somehow connected to the radio system on the table.

George was in the far corner of the room digging through a small leather pouch and producing things from it that were way too large to realistically fit in there. After pulling out a large, brightly colored boxed labeled Nosebleed Nougats, a blue feathered boa, a bright purple top hat, numerous hairpins and other strange nicknacks, he finally found his own microphone after reaching his entire arm into the bag. Dudley had remembered seeing something similar in a Disney movie once about a nanny with a large carpet bag. His mother had turned the telly off, saying that the movie was utter nonsense.

"Why do you have these?" Eve asked the ginger, holding up one of the colorful hair clips.

"They are a Weasley's Wizard Weezes product, they are made to change the hairstyle of whoever wears them," he replied, taking the clip from her hand and fastening it into his hair. Almost immediately the shock of red hair had dulled to a dingy grey and formed a slight wave to it. Dudley stared, slightly dumbfounded. He have expected it to explode or something.

"Incredible," Eve gasped, "I would ask how you accomplished it, but I'm betting it's confidential?"

"Right you are! Fred and I see that it has been a big hit amongst teenage girls, and useful for the Order." George said, visibly relaxing to Eve's presence.

George and Eve were still talking as Dudley's attention was drawn to Lee, who was already sitting at the table. Lee fiddled with the dials on the radio, his brow furrowed in concentration.

"What are you doing?" Dudley found himself asking as he walked over to the kitchen table.

"I am putting in the password for today's show, listeners have to dial in the chosen password in order to get the station, otherwise anyone could listen in," Lee turned one of the dials clockwise and tapped it with his wand, it emitted a hollow clicking noise, followed by static.

"We are all set, we'll just wait a few more moments before starting," Lee shifted his microphone closer to his right. He placed an elbow on the and turned to look at him.

"So, I imagine this all must be difficult for you, being a muggle and all, being thrown into a world that you haven't experienced before," Lee said in a surprisingly serious tone.

"It has been different," Dudley mumbled, not wanting to admit his struggles in the magical world, "But, I have had some help getting used to it," he continued, glancing over at Eve. "I've learned a lot."

"Have you learned about Qudditch?"

"Yeah! I read a book on it and have been listening to some of the games on the radio, the Chudley Cannons are awful! The team seriously needs a new coach," Dudley responded with a little too much enthusiasm, happy that he could have a conversation that he completely understood. Lee laughed heartily with agreement.

"River, you idiot!" George suddenly shouted from across the room,"Your elbows is on the mic button!"

Responding to the name River, Lee jumped back from the table, sure enough, a small red light was blinking at the base of the microphone. He stared at it in horror a second before quickly recovering.

"Sorry about that folks!" Lee said into the microphone, "but, isn't it sad that even a muggle, who has just been introduced to the magical world, knows that our country's Quidditch team is a complete mess? And their performance last week was no exception...Now I think we should move onto more serious matters,"

"Right you are River!" George said, holding his own mic as he slid into the seat next to him. "Welcome , everyone to our humble radio show, Potterwatch. If you are a returning listener, Welcome back! I'm your co-host Rebel here with our klutz of a host, River. I would also like to give a special thanks to our muggle guest, Porkchop, for being such a good sport!"

Dudley had every urge to jump at the the ear-less wonder and pound him into the ground. He had never been made fun of like that, nobody had ever dared to.  
"Rebel, I thought we agreed that everybody's name was to start with 'R'?" Lee asked as he attempted to cover up a snort.

"I think Porkchop is a special case," He said giving Dudley a wink. Dudley clenched his hands into fists, debating whether to swing. Eve must have noticed this, for she placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Come on, let's get out of the way," Eve said, giving his shirt a sharp tug. George's grin fell from his face and Dudley found himself freeze when he saw the icy glare she was giving the ginger. He found himself nodding stupidly and left the table without even sending a glare in George's direction.

"And a special thanks to...Rogue, for breaking up what was sure to end up a bloodly fight to the death," Lee added to break the sudden silence. He shuffled his stack of papers. "Speaking of bloody fights, there was another Death Eater attack in a muggle village just south of..."

Dudley and Eve stood on the other side of the kitchen as "River" and "Rebel" continued reporting more attacks and deaths of both wizards and muggle communities. The two of the listened about the muggleborns going into hiding due to the new Registration laws being led by someone called Umbridge, and the fact that Harry Potter was still in hiding. They were soon joined by Kingsley (Royal), who began giving more detailed insight on the corruption of the Ministry of Magic. Hestia and Dedalus stood in the doorway listening intently.

"So Royal, do you have any advice for some of our younger listeners at Hogwarts who may be listening in? How should they stay safe from the new management at the school?"

"Yes, I do. Students, stay in groups. Don't ever walk the halls alone, not even during the day. Stay out of the Carrow's way; they are know Death Eaters and will not hesitate to use sever punishment on anyone who disagrees with them. I also beg you to not start any rebellions. Please stay in line, the staff can only protect you so much from the Carrows and Headmaster Snape."

Dudley's eyes widened. That Snape guy had popped up again! Who was this guy and what was so terrible about him? He glanced over at Eve, who was standing there stone-faced, seemingly indifferent to the conversation. And what was her role in all of this? His mind buzzed with uncertainty and confusion.

" My final bit of advice would be to turn off the radio right now. Yes, you heard me correctly, turn it off. Do not play this station anywhere you can be overheard. You are placing yourselves in danger if you are caught. I understand that you want to stay informed, but it's not worth your safety. There are those that can relay the information you need, and if you are listening to this station, you probably already know who they are." Kingsly pushed the mic back to George to wrap it up.

"Well, that's all the time we have for tonight folks. Remember to set up protective shields on your homes every day and to do the same for your muggle neighbors, keep everyone around you safe. And if we find you students are still tuning in each week, we give permission to a few of our mates at Hogwarts to chuck your radios off the top of the astronomy tower. Seriously, stop listening to us," George finished looking at the time on his watch. "Good night and don't forget next week's password is 'Golden Trio'."

Lee switched off both microphones with the flick of his wand. He heaved a loud sigh and leaned back in his chair.

"Well, that was an...interesting start."

"I was pretty funny though, I bet Fred got a laugh out of it." George chuckled as he tossed the mic in his bag, it hit the bottom with a loud thump. He tossed the remaining boas and candy in on top of it. "No hard feelings though, right?" George asked, turning to face Dudley. He gave him a sly grin.

Dudley just glared at him.

"I just felt you deserve a little humiliation for being such a prat to Harry," he explained like it was completly justifiable.

"Don't you think I feel bad enough?" Dudley hissed through his teeth.

George examined him for a moment with surprise, as though he had suddenly started speaking another language. He coughed and shifted his gaze.

"Sorry that I offended you. I suppose that makes me the prat now,"

"Eh, I guess we are both prats."

George laughed and walked out of the kitchen.

Dudley still thought he was a jerk.

* * *

"Are you sure you can't stay any longer?" Hestia asked the the three men that were getting ready to depart. The sun had set hours ago, and the new moon made the sky pitch black. Dudley had accompanied her and Dedalus outside to say goodbye. Eve had returned to the cellar, claiming she had a potion to attend to.

" I'm sorry, but we cannot stay," Kingsley said, giving her a quick hug goodbye. " I have to report to work tomorrow and the boys still have to run the shop."

Hestia nodded in understanding, but it didn't hide the disappointment in her eyes.

"Thanks for the dinner!" Lee said. " It was the best meal I have had in ages,"

" Yep, just as good as mum's," George agreed, patting his stomach.

Hestia smiled and thanked them with a slight blush. She turned to the conversation that Dedalus and Kingsley were still having.

"Hey Lee?" Dudley asked, pulling him aside. He figured now was good time to get some information.

"What is it?"

" What can you tell me about Snape?

Lee gave him an odd look. "What do you want to know?"

"Why his name keeps coming up, nobody has told me."

"Seriously?! I thought you said you were told about what has been going on?"

"Eve never spoke of him when she told me about Harry. In fact, she won't even say his name... There is a connection between them isn't there? Everyone knows, even my mum! But she won't say anything and I feel like I shouldn't ask Ms. Jones or Mr. Diggle..."

"Oh, that's rich!" Lee scowled, "She would be such a coward not to mention that-"

"Oi! We're leaving!" George called a few feet away, " Let's go!"

"Alright, I'm coming!" Lee shouted over his shoulder. He turned back quickly to Dudley.

"Look, I have to leave," He explained, biting his lip. " You really should ask Hestia or Dedalus about him...I guess they believe Eve told you. But if you really feel uncomfortable, I'll send you a message when I get the chance. Alright?"

"Alright thanks," Dudley huffed, not overly thrilled that he wouldn't get to know right away. "Nice meeting you," he added, remembering to be polite.

"Likewise," Lee said before quickly shaking his hand.

Dudley walked over to Dedalus and Hestia and waved goodbye to their visitors as they left the protective barrier and disappeared one at a time in a series of dull cracks.


	9. Chapter 9

A/N: I am super sorry that I haven't posted in a really, really long time. So when I finally had a free day, I wrote **two **chapters for you all to read in hopes that you all haven't given up on me. I plan on writing more soon during my month of break.

I apologize ahead of time for any grammatical mistakes. I don't have have any extra editing help. Maybe I should look into a beta.

Please review: I so do love those. :)

* * *

Chapter 9: Patronus Problems

Rain pelted down onto the window, filling the bedroom with the sound of distant drums. Dudley Dursley, however, ignored it as he read and reread the same page of a book. He had been trying to decipher "Principles of Apparition" for the past two days, and had barely managed to make much sense of it. He had become interested in the topic two weeks ago, after watching Kingsley, George and Lee appear and disappear out of thin air.

Determined to learn for himself, he had found the book in the library. That had been a mistake. He scanned the paragraph he had been reading for the sixth time that morning.

"_Destination: the first of the three "D's", is highly important for a castor to remember. The absences of a set destination could result in horrific splinching. This is not to say, however, that the whereabouts of the location have to be known. For example, if one were to desire a place to relax, they may find that they have appariated to a lovely beach or a handsome field they have never visited before. This type of unknown destination is highly discouraged due to the..."_

Dudley snapped the book shut in irritation; knowing he wouldn't be able to continue reading about something that just confused him even more. What was splinching anyways? It certainly sounded nasty. Defeated, he flopped out of bed to return the book to the library.

Dudley was surprised to hear voices when he opened his bedroom door. Usually the cabin was silent on rainy mornings like this. He strained to listen to the voices, they seemed to be quietly arguing. Slowly, as not to make any noise, he walked down the hall. The voices grew louder as he approached the lounge. He stopped just outside of the the entryway and listened in.

"That memory must not be strong enough Miss Petiers; try another one," Dedalus's said in a slightly forceful tone.

"I am trying!" Eve hissed angrily, she sounded like she was close to shouting. "I just can't get it to work!"

"You can," Dedalus urged "Just let your happiest memory fill your mind and do as I do... Expecto Patronum!"

Curious, Dudley peered around the corner. The furniture in the lounge had been pushed aside, leaving a large empty space in the center of the room. Dudley watched in awe as a sliver mist flowed from Dedalus's wand. It twisted and turned quickly to form a shape.

Within seconds, the mist had contorted into the shape of a goose. It silently flew around the room, opening and closing its silvery beak, like it was attempting to make sound. So that was how a Patronus was made. His eyes followed the bird as it landed on the ground next to the little man, and made quite the show of preening it's feathers before it disappeared into nothingness.

Eve inhaled sharply before she raised her wand. She wrinkled her brow in concentration and waved her wand. "Expecto Petronum!"

At first a slivery mist poured from her wand just as Dedalus's had. It bent and twisted and began to condense into a small shape and then fell apart into a cloud of misty dust. Eve stood there with a blank expression, the only indication of her frustration was the way her hands twitched at her sides.

Dedalus sighed and pocketed his wand into his robes.

"Maybe we should take a break," he suggested. Eve gave the man a curt nod in agreement.

Dudley backed away from the entryway as Dedalus emerged from the lounge.

"Oh, hello Dudley!" he greeted.

"Hey Dedalus."

"I'm off to the kitchen for some breakfast; would you like to join me?"

"I'm not hungry," Dudley lied. His stomach ached in protest.

"Alright then, suit yourself," Dedalus said in his usual cheerful tone. He scurried away to the kitchen and out of sight.

Dudley returned his attention to the witch, who only moments ago looked nearly emotionless, had now taken a pillow from off the couch and had buried her face into it. Dudley could hear her let out a muffled scream. She chucked the pillow at the floor and mumbled out a slew of cursing that would have made a sailor blush.

Dudley stood there in mild awe. When Eve finally noticed him standing there, she quickly shut her mouth and her pale cheeks became blotched with red, looking like a very bad rash.

"Sorry 'bout that..." she said, anxiously scratching her head.

"Having problems?"

"That's an understatement," Eve grumbled. She flicked her wand and the furniture zipped back into its regular place. She flopped lazily onto the sofa. " For the life of me, I can not produce a corporeal Patronus. Mr. Diggle thinks my memory isn't strong enough to produce one. I know that can't be it; I can feel the strength of my memory and it feels solid, it just..." she sighed and slumped further down into the seat cushion.

"Just what?" Dudley set the book down on the coffee table and plopped down next to her.

"It's hard to explain...It's like, I can feel the energy behind the spell, but the spell itself isn't sure what to do with it. It feels as though it's confused, like it isn't sure what it wants to morph into...does that make any sense?" Dudley just stared blankly at her.

"Absolutely none."

At first, Eve quirked an eyebrow; only to laugh when realization hit.

"Guess I forgot who I was talking to," she snorted, sitting back up.

"Do all Patronuses look different?" Dudley asked, thinking about Dedalus's goose and Arthur Weasley's weasel.

"For the most part, I think," Eve mused, looking up at the wooden ceiling. "I guess there are certain exceptions and conditions...a person's Patronus can even change too. Nobody really understands why; there are only theories and guesses."

Dudley made a face; he found it odd how much wizard and witches didn't know about their own magic. Then again, there was a lot he didn't know about his own, muggle, world.

"Creating a Patronus isn't exactly easy, but I have been practicing this spell for over six months...The Order uses them a lot, you see," Eve said as she examined her wand. "Defense Against the Dark Arts has never been my strongest point, but I have never been this incompetent. If I was face to face with a Dementor right now, I would be screwed."

Dudley suddenly remembered that summer two years ago. He remembered seeing a flash of silver light through the endless darkness. That horrible, cold, empty darkness. Those Dementors had forced him to see what he really had been: a terrible bully. Just thinking about it caused a shiver to race down his spine. Harry had saved him with a Patronus. He couldn't remember what it looked like, he only recalled that it had been big. It had chased away the compressing, dark force that had been surrounding Dudley. He never had properly thanked his cousin for saving his soul from being eaten.

"You alright?"

"Yeah," Dudley said, shaking his head to bring himself back to reality. "I just got lost in thought."

Eve, however, continued to stare at him, making him feel very uneasy. He shifted uncomfortably back, unsure why she was looking at him like that. Suddenly, she let out a huff and returned her gaze back to her wand. After a minute, she stood up and glanced around the room.

"Expecto Petronum," she said with a wave of her wand. The mist shooting out gathered into a small mass. It twirled like it was about to take shape. Dudley leaned forward with excitement. With a sudden, short burst, it fell apart. The mist fell to the floor. Dudley reached out for some with an open hand before it disappeared completely. It was warm sensation, not unlike breathing into your hands to warm them up. He looked up at the witch.

Eve let out a disappointed sigh. "I have better things to do than this," she said before walking away, leaving Dudley alone in the room. He heard the sound of the cellar door slam shut as he got up to leave.


	10. Chapter 10

A/N: Part two of my two part post. Enjoy. More should be arriving soon.

Please review!

* * *

Chapter 10: Destructive Decisions

Twenty-five.

Two days later it was still raining. Dudley was keeping himself busy today by doing pushups. He took a deep breath and pushed on. Sweat slid down his neck as the rain pelted harder against the window.

Twenty-six.

He wondered if the gnomes had been flooded out of their home yet. He imagined them scrambling over each other, trying to climb a tree to save themselves.

Twenty-seven.

He could hear his father yelling about something. He debated whether it was worth checking out. He cringed at Hestia's returning screeches; probably not a good idea...his arms were starting to become sore.

Twenty-eight.

Dudley hadn't seen Eve since the other day. He bet she was down in the cellar again, that's if she had ever left. Maybe he should make sure she remembered to sleep, or eat...or bathe. She tended to forget certain basic human needs when she was working on a project.

Twenty-nine.

He heard another clap of thunder, his bedroom lit up from the lightning. Dear lord, when was this rain ever going to let up?!

Thirty.

Dudley collapsed to the floor; he hated doing pushups. Tired, he rolled over onto his back and sprawled himself across the floor. He would kill for a hamburger and fries. At that thought he closed his eyes, imagining such wonderful, tasty foods.

Outside, something was hitting his window hard enough to create a loud clicking noise. He groaned; was it hailing now too?!

Dudley tilted his head towards the window and slowly opened one of his eyes. He jumped up in surprise at the sight of a small dark creature tapping on his window. Another flash of lighting gave him enough light to see that it was an owl. It looked at him with agitation and continued pecking at the window.

Cautiously, he approached the window. He could faintly hear the owl let out an angry hoot as it demanded to be let inside. It took a moment for him to remember that magical post was delivered by owls. It must have a letter.

Curious, and a bit excited, Dudley unlatched the window and pulled the wooden frame open. The bird bolted through the opening and onto his rug. He quickly closed it again.

" Hey! Quit that!" he scolded as the owl ruffled it's tawny feathers, sending splashes of water everywhere. His response was a creepy, hissing noise. Dudley held his hands up defensively.

"Alright, alright. Sorry, I should have let you in sooner." The owl gave him a disapproving hoot, and begrudgingly held out its leg. A small piece of paper was attached to it. It stared up at him with beady little eyes. It shook its extended leg impatiently.

"Errrr..." Dudley said, kneeling down next to it. He hesitated to untie it, fearful of the creatures small talons sinking into his flesh. The owl, however, continued to glare at him, as though to say it was going to scratch him if he didn't hurry up and take the letter.

Nervously, he fumbled with the twine, fearful of actually touching the bird. Finally, it fell to the floor. Dudley picked it up, surprised that it seemed untouched by the rain. Anxiously, he unrolled the paper. On the scroll in chicken-scratch was a short note.

_Porkchop,_

_(Sorry, but using your real name could be hazardous if this were intercepted)._

_If you haven't already asked H. or D. yet; the attached article should answer your question. As for the connection to Rogue...well, you don't have to be a genius to figure that out...Also, don't respond to this letter; we shouldn't risk your your hidden location more than we already have._

_-River_

_P.s: Nigel will start to peck you until he receives food. Sorry._

Dudley looked over at Nigel, who had already begun to inch closer to him, looking at him expectantly. Thinking quickly, he pulled out a package from his dresser drawer. He wondered if owls like Goldfish crackers. He took out a small handful and dropped it next to the bird. Nigel pecked at one, swallowing it whole. He must have liked it enough, because he soon reached for another. Dudley returned his attention to the folded up newspaper clipping. He unfolded it, his eyes hungry to read it.

The paper was dated back in early June and sported a moving picture of an old man with a long beard and half-moon glasses. The picture smiled faintly up at him.

_"The Wizarding world suffered a great loss today with the death of Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore. Order of Merlin First Class, Supreme Mugwump and Headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, was killed in cold blood last night by the use of the unforgivable killing curse. The castor of this wretched spell was non other than a member of Dumbledore's own staff. Severus Snape, the Potions Master at Hogwarts for the past fifteen years, fired the curse that ended the beloved man's life, sending him off the the side of the north tower. Snape is a know Death Eater..."_

Dudley continued to read on. The shock of the situation was overpowering. The fact that Snape was a follower of Voldemort was bad enough, considering he had made a living off of teaching young students. The fact that Dumbledore had trusted him,and gave him a second chance, only to be killed by him, was much worse. What a horrible traitor, no wonder nobody at Marigold cabin wanted to mention his name.

His mind suddenly jumped to Eve. How could she not tell him this? She had explained Albus Dumbledore's death like it had been done by a random Death Eater; she never once even mentioned the name Severus Snape. Especially since...

Suddenly fueled with a hurt, angry rage, Dudley stomped over to the door and yanked it open. Nigel hooted loudly at his feet. Too preoccupied at the moment, he figured the bird would be fine on his own, and thankful to be out of the storm.

He slammed the door behind him, and made his way down the hall. He opened and closed the cellar door with equal force and tromped down the stairs

Eve was sitting at her work station, slicing up some sort of purple root, she didn't look up at him as he approached her.

"Jeez Dudley, I thought an elephant was jumping down the steps with the noise you were making," she said with a smile. However, when she finally did look up at him, it vanished quickly. "What's wrong?"

"This!" he spat, holding the newspaper clipping literally an inch from her face. Eve went cross eyed for a moment before snatching the paper from him. He watched as her face went pale as her eyes scanned the article.

"Where did you get this?"

"That hardly matters; what does matter is the fact that you blatantly lied to me."

"I didn-"

"How could you not tell me?!"

Eve gazed down at the lap, apparently at a loss for words. Dudley took a deep breath and spoke as calmly as he could.

"Is he your father?"

There was a long pause, Eve looked back up, wearing the same expressionless mask she often donned.

"Yes," her voice was monotone, almost robotic.

"Why didn't you tell me?"Eve got up and stumbled over to one of the back counters and held onto the edge with her hands. She didn't seem brave enough to even speak face to face.

"Are you really that stupid?! Do you think I want to go around telling everyone 'Hey, what's up? My father killed the greatest wizard of our time. So, what Quidditch team do you support?"

Dudley glared at her. He hated the fact that she lied, but loathed the fact that she didn't seem to have a very supportive reason for not telling him the truth. He was so angry for being left in the dark, that his mind searched for something hurtful.

"Lee was right," Dudley scoffed at her. "You are a coward."

Apparently he had hit a nerve, but his glory was very short lived. Two seconds later, Eve had whirled around in a furious rage. A glass jar shattered behind him, only mere inches to his right. He flinched as he felt a few small pieces hit the side of his arm. She had not used her wand, but there was no way she couldn't have caused that to happen.

Dudley stood there, unable to move. The look on Eve's face matched the terror that he felt.

"Oh Merlin," she gasped "Dudley, I'm so sorry!" She rushed over to him. "I am so, soooo sorry!"

"Stay away from me you psychopath!" Dudley roared, pushing her away. She had used magic against him! He fled up the stairs.

"Dudley! Wait!"He heard her footsteps follow him up the stairs as he rushed into his room. He slammed it shut and quickly locked the door. He backed away, just as Eve reached his door. He curled his fists, ready to fight in case she blew up the door or something.

Instead, she began to bang on it with her fist."Dudley, Please listen! I'm so sorry!"

"Go away!" He shouted back.

"It was accidental! I would never want to-"

"Leave my son alone you freak!" Dudley heard his father yell from down the hall. This was soon joined by more shouting. Soon there were several loud voices weaseling into the fight. Tired, angry and a bit scared, Dudley chose to tune them out. He turned on his wireless radio to drown out their voices.

He glanced over to his desk where Nigel now resided. The owl made a disgruntled clicking noise with his beak. It didn't seem to approve of the noises. It circled to the window and back to the desk, requesting to be let out.

"Fine, you blasted bird...Get out of here!" He growled, re-opening the latch to the window. Nigel screeched bitterly and flew out the gap into the stormy night.

Dudley let the "Weird Sisters" play for a while before turning it off again. By that time, the hallway had returned to its normal silence. Dudley breathed a sigh of relief, and flopped onto his bed, burying his head into the pillows.

About an hour later there was a knock on his door.

"I said go away," Dudley groaned from his bed, ready to chuck his radio at the door.

"It's me sweetheart," he heard his mother say form the other side. "Did that awful girl hurt you?"

A part of Dudley wanted to say yes, in hopes that she would get into terrible trouble. He looked down at his right arm, it showed no signs of injury. The glass hadn't hit him hard enough to cause any damage.

"No mum, she didn't," He said rather loudly, in case there was more than one person listening outside the door."Now please, just leave me alone."

"Aright sweetie," his mother sniffed, as though she was on the verge of tears. Dudley placed a pillow back over his head, wishing he could just leave this stupid place.

Eve said it had been an accident. He had learned that there was such thing as accidental magic, like when Harry had blown up their aunt Marge. He felt fortunate that she hadn't turned him into a human balloon. Still the thought of her even trying to hurt him, bothered him a lot. Not to mention the whole reason the fight even started.

Maybe you shouldn't have acted so angry. That quiet little voice in the back of his head said. It takes two to fight.

It wouldn't have happened if she hadn't lied. He told the voice, covering up its pitiful cries.

Dudley turned to his side in attempts to get to sleep. He would deal with this issue later; right now he needed to rest. He would try to sort it out in his mind tomorrow. I didn't help that he had the rage of his father and the strong ability to hold a grudge like his mum.


	11. Chapter 11

A/N: Yeah...I suck. My hopes right now are to at least post once a month. That seems to ba a more manageable goal. Thanks to those of you still reading, I hope my chapters are worth it.

I also did some slight spelling and wording adjustments on the last two chapters. Writing from an iPad is not very easy.

Please read and review!

* * *

Chapter 11: Forgiveness and Promises

His ability to hold grudges was stronger than he had expected. It had been several weeks since the fight and Dudley still hadn't completely sorted out the situation. Part of him wanted to stay angry and refuse to ever associate with the likes of Eve, but that little nagging voice kept pulling him away from those actions. He was the one who had started shouting, after all.

Dudley figured that he would say something after dinner to her, or ever approach her while she was in the library or the lounge, but he hadn't even seen Eve at all since that night. She no longer showed up for dinner, and never seemed to be in any of the upstairs rooms. The light in her bedroom was never on, making the door at the end of the hall radiate a feeling of emptiness. The only indication that Eve even still existed was the occasional smell of potions brewing down in the cellar, but Dudley wasn't ready to return back down there any time soon.

Spending the past few weeks without talking to someone his own age was beginning to take a toll on him. Dudley still was angry with her, but there was no doubt that he missed their conversations. He found himself walking aimlessly around Marigold cabin, looking for things to do.

Hestia had noticed his melancholiac behavior rather quickly, and had taken it upon herself to sit down to breakfast with him each morning. They rarely talked, but the air of company seemed to satisfy them both.

Dudley had also been spending more time with Dedalus, their ongoing wizard's chess matches helped pass away the afternoons. Dudley was slowly getting better at the strategic game, and had even beat Dedalus yesterday. While the chess games were a decent distraction, Dudley couldn't help but feel a bit mopey. It was hard to function on a day to day biases when you kept doing the same things over and over again.

Dudley stared dully at the chess board in front of him, he might have gotten lucky the day before, but today he was having his arse handed to him. His rook yelled at him to sacrifice his bishop, while the bishop tried to convince him to use the rook as a decoy.

"Shut up, the both of you!" he hissed angrily, flicking them both upside the heads. This earned a boisterous laugh from Dedalus as the obnoxious pieces grumbled unhappily.

"You seem rather distracted today," the older man observed, giving him a concerned look.

"Sorry, I guess it just is dull to do the same things day in and day out...Not that I don't enjoy playing chess with you!" Dudley quickly added, not wanting to give the man the wrong impression.

"It's quite alright, but maybe we should hold off today's game, and change things up a bit."

Dudley stared, confused for a moment. "Umm, sure," He shrugged.

"Then grab your coat, my boy, and let us take a walk," Dedalus picked up his winter robe from his chair as Dudley got up from the table. "None of you move from your places, or I'll lock the lot of you into the desk drawer again," Dudley threatened the black and white pieces before leaving the room.

* * *

Outside was cold and windy. The late November air was very crisp, almost to the point of sharpness. Dudley followed Dedalus through the back garden. All the leaves and plant life had withered and died off for the season, with the exception of the marigold plants. Their bright red, orange and yellow petals continued to dance in the bitter cold.

"I used to love coming here as a young boy," the old man sighed as he watched the floral choreograph.

"This is your place?" Dudley had never thought about the ownership of the cabin before, but it seemed to make perfect sense.

"It was my great-grandmothers, Marigold cabin was named after her. I never did have the pleasure of meeting her, but I have been told she was wonderfully kind. These flowers have been around for nearly two centuries, never changing, never dying."

"Woah," Dudley gaped as he kneeled down to examine them further. He had never paid them much attention, given the fact that had used to make him feel uneasy. He lightly touched one with his fingers. The orange flower twisted rapidly at his touch, making it look as though its petals were twirling.

"I used to come here every summer, these flowers were always my favorite thing about this place, I used to ride my broom through this garden all the time with my brother, Dorian, much to our grandmother's dismay," He said with a slight chuckle "Though, we never did manage to crash into that old oak."

Dudley felt his face go red with both embarrassment and realization. "I didn't think you knew about that..."

Dedalus laughed again, "Miss Petiers told me that night, she brought me the broken remains of my brother's old broom. Dorian always hated that thing, it had a constant habit of steering too far to the left."

Dudley felt himself visibly freeze at the mention of Eve, this did not go unnoticed.

"Miss Petiers has been in a bad state since your argument," Dedalus said, refusing to beat around the bush.

"She lied to me."The old wizard nodded.

"Did she apologize?"

Dudley felt himself blank. "I think she would have, if I hadn't shouted at her...but she made that glass explode!" He added to his defense. Eve had tried to apologize for that, but he had refused to listen.

"Accidental magic is common in younger witches and wizards before and during their attendance at school. Miss Petiers was both embarrassed and horrified with her actions. It is considered both childish and insulting for an adult to do such uncontrolled magic," Dedalus explained as they continued their walk. "She also was upset that her magic had unleashed near you, she was terrified at the thought she had hurt you."

Dudley remembered how horrified Eve had looked that night, and how she had followed him upstairs, pleading for him to listen. He couldn't help but feel guilty; he knew he should have started the confrontation differently, even though she had been in the wrong.

"Her lying to you was wrong and so were her actions, but I know she never intended to try and hurt you. Miss Petiers may have some...unfortunate connections, but I know she's a good person."

Dudley just stared down at the marigolds. The glass that Eve had exploded had been apart of what made magic so terrifying to him. Things like the pig's tail, the large purple tongue, the broomstick and the Dementors gave him the worst impression about magic, and his upbringing hadn't helped any. Yet, there were things like the beautiful dancing flowers, enchanted books, potions that healed and of course, wizard's chess, that proved that magic could be both good and bad...Just like people.

The sudden epiphany shocked him into realization. He knew that he had to make amends with Eve.

"I have to go, there is something I need to do," He said, excusing himself from their walk.

Dedalus gave him and knowing smile. The marigolds continued to dance as the two parted ways.

* * *

Dudley was hesitant to knock on the Eve's bedroom door. He was surprised to discover the cellar empty when he went to search for her, and even more so when he saw her bedroom light on. Swallowing his pride, he rapped his knuckles on the door's wooden surface.

"It's open."Dudley slowly opened the door a crack and stuck his head in. Eve sat on her bed, several piles of clothes surrounded her.

"Hello..." His words were followed by an awkward silence. They stared at each other uneasily.

"...Hi."

"Can I come in?"

"I guess."

Dudley stepped inside the small room. It was extremely cluttered, to say the least; a complete opposite from the condition of the well kept cellar. There were bits of parchment scattered around the room, ink was splattered in various places. Trinkets and several photos occupied the entire surface of the window sill. Dudley was especially amused by the poster on the wall, which sported a popular, American, Muggle band.

"You could sit down, you know..." Eve pointed to the desk chair next to him. "Just push off the books," she said a bit sheepishly. Dudley carefully removed the books and placed them on the crowded desk instead, atop of a stack of papers.

"Sorry, I'm not usually this much of a slob," Eve deadpanned, as her hollow cheeks flushed red.

"S'okay," Dudley mumbled. This was going to be harder than he thought. The silence that followed was almost deafening. He looked around for inspiration to start a conversation. He finally found one on the window sill.

"Who are all these people?" He asked, picking up the moving picture. A small group of kids around fourteen crowded into the photo. They all wore the same navy blue sweaters and khaki pants. One blond-haired boy nearly fell of the bench several of them were sitting on. This resulted in the silent laughter of many of the kids, though many of them had a hold of his sleeves to keep him from falling.

"Oh, that was my Class. We were quite the group, you can see our instructor, Professor Walters, in the back of the classroom."

"That's a pretty small graduating class..." He said, looking at the lack students.

"Hell no! Our graduation class topped five hundred! Our "Class", was our academic group; those who were focused in Potions. After our third year we chose a career path that best suited us and studied with like-minded individuals."

"Oh," Dudley examined the back row, he saw a younger Eve laughing along with a pretty brunette.

"Who's she?"

"That's Roberta, my best friend, everyone called her Bobbi...then there's Max, Xander,(the one falling out his seat) Gina, (boy, was she a slut) Leanne, Wendy, McCay, (he never did tell anyone his first name) Shantel and Enrique," Eve listed off without taking a breath. "Man, I miss them...Though I doubt they miss me."

Dudley had a nagging feeling that he knew why, and it deepened his realization of Eve's desire to keep things secretive.

"Eve, I'm sorry!" He found himself blurting out suddenly. Eve looked quite startled, as though his outburst was a result of demon possession. Dudley took a deep breath before continuing. "I'm sorry I yelled at you, I really am. I may have hated the fact that you lied to me, but I do understand why you did...I'm sorry I called you a coward."

Eve picked at the sleeve of her robe anxiously. "I deserved it; it was wrong and cowardly of me to lie and my defensive actions were unforgivable. I should have been able to control my damn magic, and I directed it towards you. You have all rights to hate me."

"...I don't hate you." Dudley reassured.

Eve looked back up at him, her black eyes gleaming with hope. "Is there any way you can forgive me? I would rather snap my own wand than hurt you...or any other innocent person, ever again." Her face went beat red.

"Yes, I will forgive you...friends?" Dudley added hopefully, offering her his hand.

"Friends," Eve said with one of her beautifully rare smiles as she shook it.

"There are still so many questions about you and...err, your father that I want to ask, but I don't want to force you to answer them."

"Thanks," Eve said with a sigh of relief, " I promise I will tell you, and satisfy your curiosity soon...I'm just not quite ready to yet."

"Okay, but I'm holding you to your word," Dudley goaded.

"I cross my heart...or would you rather I pinkie promised?"

"What are you, five?"

"Sometimes I would like to be again."

"Can't blame you there." Dudley glanced up at the poster over Eve's bed again. He gave her an impish smile.

"So, you've got a thing for the Backstreet Boys, huh?"

His response was a pillow to the face.

* * *

A/N: No answered questions yet! But they will happen...in Chapter 13: Sins of the Father vs Sins of the Son. So, only two more chapters until Eve reveals a bit of her past!


	12. Chapter 12

A/N: Whoo! I was able to get another chapter up in less than a month!

This chapter is going to consist of two parts; onestaring on Christmas eve and the other covering Christmas day. (Which will be posted on a later date).

* * *

Chapter 12: (Part 1) The Peak Before the Slope

The next month and a half went by rather quickly in Dudley's opinion, now that he had a friend to talk to again. His days had been occupied with potions experiments, heated debates and the continual learning about the magical world that surrounded him.

It was already Christmas eve and the house had been decorated in various green and red ribbons. Dudley had helped Dedalus and Hestia decorate the tree in the lounge the night before. The thoughts of this holiday were uplifting everyone's spirits. Even his mum and dad were in more agreeable moods, and Dudley's happiness had only escalated when he looked outside his window that morning.

Dudley rushed down the cellar stairs in a frenzy. In his excitement he nearly tripped on the last step and had to cling to the railing to stay upright.

"Eve, did you see how much it snowed last night?!"

Eve sat down at her usual bench, cutting up ingredients. She looked slowly up at him through her curtain of lanky hair.

"Yeah...?" She responded, as though she didn't understand his reaction.

"There has to be about twenty-seven centimeters out there!" Dudley said with a deflating tone, disappointed by his friend's lack of enthusiasm.

"Twenty-seven centimeters," Eve repeated, as she poured some finely chopped Plumrocks into a clear jar. "Roughly eleven inches...I'm sorry, I should be excited, because?"

"Because," he explained with exasperation, "It never snows that much here! I don't think I've ever seen this much all at once!"

"Oh, right. I suppose I forgot how little it snows here. I'm used to a lot of snow back home, so I apologize for my lack of enthusiasm."

The room went silent. Dudley nervously scratched the back of his head. Eve had returned her attention to her potions ingredients. He felt his mouth go strangely dry before he spoke again.

"Want to...go hang outside for a bit?" He asked hesitantly as he found himself staring at the cellar floor.

"Uh...sure," Eve's cheeks turned all red and blotchy for a brief moment before returning to their usual pale color. "Let me just get my coat."

* * *

Outside it was beautiful; the snow had covered everything, except for the colorful marigolds, in a thick blanket of white. Dudley tromped through the snow in a pair of sneakers that Eve had transfigured into stopped in a clearing void of any animal or gnome tracks, and happily observed the untouched field of snow.

"Hmm, great packing snow...want to build a snowman?" Eve asked as she scooped up the snow with mittened hands.

* * *

It had taken a good hour and a half to roll snowballs big enough to make a six foot tall snowman. Eve had refused to do magic and insisted that they lift the huge snowballs themselves, and had to remake the torso after dropping it the first time.

A few years ago, Dudley would have refused to do something as "stupid" as build a snowman like a little kid, and would much rather had thrown snowballs at locals and cars. Now, here he was, building a large snowman with a girl he had only know for a few months to fight off boredum.

After they had finished, the two of them stood back to admire their work. Eve had gathered some branches to form a pair of arms and Dudley had found some rocks of various sizes to make the mouth and eyes.

"He needs a nose," Eve mused, rubbing her chin in thought. She walked over to the large oak tree and pulled off a piece of bark that had become partly detached from Dudley's flying incident. She walked back to to the snowman and jabbed it in the face with the broken bark. The splinter gave their creation a horribly long and jagged nose.

"There!" Eve laughed "He looks fabulous."

"Yeah, just don't give him a mirror."

"Hey!" Eve said with a mock scowl. She picked up a chunk of snow and hurled it at him. He dodged it and it disappeared into the snow behind him.

"You really want to start this?" Dudley warned, stooping low to the ground. Eve threw another one, hitting his left shoulder.

"It's your funeral," he sighed. He formed a ball of snow in his hand and threw it right back.

* * *

Dusk came much too quickly for Dudley. They had spent a few hours chucking snowballs at one another. Eve had taken shelter behind their snowman and had soon built a wall around it. Her fort, combined with her throwing skills had forced Dudley into a retreat behind the large oak tree, where he built his own base of operation, slowly trying to overpower her. He suceeded when his last throw had hit Eve right on the side of her face. She let out an exaggerated groan and slumped behind the wall of her fort.

"Are you okay?" Dudley asked as he approached her cautiously, wondering if she was resorting to trickery to make a surprise attack. Eve lay sprawled out on the ground, eyes staring blankly at the grey sky.

"I surrender," she said, waving an invisible flag in tired defeat. "I can not recover from this wound." Eve exclaimed, dropping her hand to the side of her face, which had turned bright red from the impact.

"Ouch," Dudley cringed instinctively "I'm sorry I hit your face."

"Meh, I'll live," she sighed. Eve remained motionless for several seconds.

"Dudley?"

"Yeah?"

"A little help, please?"

"I really should just leave you there, but because I am such a wonderful person, I suppose I could," Dudley teased. Eve rolled her eyes exuberantly as he helped her to her feet. She stumbled a bit trying to regain her footing and had to cling to Dudley for support and ended up knocking heads with him.

"Ahh, sorry," Eve hissed as she rubbed her forehead."Damn, my face is attracted to pain today."

"Ouch, it's alright; it wasn't your fault," Dudley lifted his head up. Eve's face was incredibly close to his own, their bodies touching. He felt an odd lurching sensation in the pit of his stomach, almost like he was about to take a test he didn't study for. Her dark eyes looked at him with curiosity.

"You okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine," he said, pulling away from her. She cocked an eyebrow before turning her attention elsewhere.

"Ug, I should have cast a water repellent charm on my clothes! My pants are soaked," Eve groaned, pulling at her jeans. "Let's get inside before they freeze to my skin."

The two of them tromped back to the cabin, shaking clumps of snow out of their hair and clothes along the way. When they stepped inside the front door they were greeted with the warm, gingerbread scented air of the indoors. Dudley shrugged off his drenched coat and hung it on the coat rack, his clothes underneath were damp.

"Oh! Hang on, I know a drying spell...Hmmmm..." Eve paused for a second in though before waving her wand. Dudley suddenly felt like he was standing in front of a giant, silent, hair dryer. Granted, his clothes had become miraculously dry, but a quick glance in the mirror revealed that his hair had become a crazy mess.

"My bad," Eve let out a snort over his reaction. "If you think you look ridiculous, check this out," Eve pointed the wand towards herself. With a sudden burst of air, the hair on her head shot straight back, giving her appearance an almost cartoonish nature. They both busted out in laughter for several seconds, before they caught sight of his mother's disapproving scowl as she walked towards the kitchen.

The hardest thing about the past few months was his mother scoffing at their newly-regained friendship. Dudley found his mum more attached to him lately, keeping him busy as she attempted to keep them as far apart as possible, which was no small feat in such enclosed quarters.

"Dudley, have you been outside all day? You could catch a cold; you wouldn't want to be sick for Christmas!" she cooed in her mothering tone, though her scornful eyes never left Eve.

"I'll be fine mum, Eve used a spell to dry me off," Dudley smiled, knowing that in one sentence he had mentioned two of the three things that she seemed hate most: magic and Eve. The third, most likely, was Harry.

Petunia seemed to be caught between appeasing her son and cursing the abnormality of his words. The result was an odd sort of grimace that made her eye twitch slightly. With that, she turned on her heel and disappeared through the kitchen doorway.

* * *

Supper that night had been chili and gingerbread for dessert, not much for a Christmas eve dinner, but Hestia promised a more elaborate meal for tomorrow. Their meals had become gradually smaller and with less variety in the past couple months and snacks were offered less and less. Wherever their food came from, Dudley couldn't help feeling that they were receiving less from that source. He often wondered as the war continued, if eventually there would be no more sources to give them food, because apparently, food was one of the few things magic couldn't produce. How long would this war continue: months, years?! He pondered these things before trying to force his mind back into the Holiday spirit as they sat down to eat and drink.

"Hand me some of that whiskey stuff," His father demanded, nodding to Hestia across the table. Hestia made a sour face but obliged.

For all the things that Dudley's father hated, the one things he didn't seem to mind about the magical world were Firewhiskey and elf-made wine. Which wasn't bad, because after a few drinks he was much more agreeable with the wizard and witches that lived with them. That's why Dudley wasn't completely surprised that his father and mother, reluctantly, agreed to join the festivities of the others in the lounge after supper. Sure, there would be some insults thrown about, but it would be in an almost awkwardly cheerful way.

It was strange to Dudley; sitting around, gleefully talking with others, rather than unwrapping some of his gifts by their Christmas tree back at Number 4 Privet Drive. Dudley wasn't even sure if he was getting presents this year. It was even more strange that he wasn't very bothered by it.

While Dedalus told an old story about visiting Marigold Cabin when he was little, Hestia passes Dudley a small red bag of what appeared to be jelly beans. The tag on the drawstring boasted about having beans of every flavor. He shrugged and pulled out a red, cherry flavored looking one. He popped it in his mouth and instantly regretted it. It tasted strongly of metal and reminded him of the taste of losing a tooth or biting on his lip and drawing blood. They weren't kidding when they said **every** flavor! He was afraid to try more. He spat it out in a napkin and handed the bag over to Eve.

Eve just smirked and rifled through the small bag, pulling out a small handful, selected a few and threw the rest back in. She popped a blue one in her mouth and smiled. Noticing the dirty look he was giving her, she handed him a white and yellow speckled one. He glanced back and forth between the bean in his palm and the girl next to him, unsure whether it was safe to eat it or not. She just shrugged and took it back, happy to eat it.

After a few more rounds of drinks and stories,(only occasionally being interrupted by Dudley's parents) the group called it a night after the clock on the fireplace mantel chimed midnight.

"Happy Christmas everyone, have a good night!" Dedalus yawed, getting up from his chair with a stretch. Dudley's parents had already rounded the corner, not returning the dismissal.

"Happy Christmas," Dudley replied to the two eldest wizards.

"See you in the morning," Eve said as she also got up from her seat. The witch and wizard said their good nights and descended down the hall. He and Eve were the last ones to retire to bed.

"Happy Christmas, Eve," Dudley said once they reached the doorway.

"Merry Christmas, Dudley," she whispered, her cheeks forming red blotches again. Her gaze wandered to a spot over his head. "Oh, how cliché," she muttered.

"What? What is?" Dudley asked looking above him. He stared blankly at the little, green plant above him. His heart raced when his brain registered what it was.

"Stupid mistletoe," Eve chuckled, taking a step closer to him. "I suppose that means I should kiss you."

His heart jumped into his throat as she leaned in, he closed his eyes.

"Dudley!" A voice screeched from down the hall, "It's bedtime!" his mother said, putting extreme emphasis on each word.

Dudley snapped open his eyes, Eve had jumped a good meter away from him, her face now completely red. He felt anger fill his chest.

"Fine, Mum," he seethed, glaring at his mother. "Goodnight, Eve," he sighed as he joined his mother down the hall. He gave one last glare at his mother and closed his bedroom door behind him. He heard his mother hiss something at Eve before the closing of her own door could be heard.

Dudley went to bed that night fuming, not knowing in the next few hours that everything was about to get worse: much, much, worse.

* * *

A/N: Yes, yes. This is a bit of a filler chapter. Is it a bit corny? Most certainly. But, I am 99.99% sure it is the last one of its nature. I just wanted to write one more peaceful chapter before everything goes to hell for these people. Stay tuned for part two, because you are not going to want to miss it!


	13. Chapter 12 part 2

A/N: Hey! Bet y'all weren't expecting another update from me so soon. (I surprised myself!) I had this chapter mostly done when I posted the last one, and I debated posting it in a week or so, but I decided that all you wonderful people deserved a special treat. So, here it is...the chapter that starts the turning point of the story... I hope you enjoy it.

Thanks for all your supportive reviews, they inspire me to update more often. I enjoy them all and look forward to your input in the future!

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Chapter 12:(Part 2) A Downward Spiral

Just mere hours after he had fallen asleep, Dudley shot out of bed, awakened by what sounded like a gigantic clap of thunder. His heart had skipped a beat in shock. The enormous noise was followed by a large crackling, hissing sound, like someone had turned a telly onto a static station and cranked the volume up as high as it could go. It was an awful noise that seemed to be surrounding the cabin.

"What the fu-" Dudley gasped, losing his voice as he saw what was transpiring outside his bedroom window.

The once invisible barrier that stood many several yards from his window had turned an opaque red. Near the top of its dome like structure, large chunks of the wall were cracking off and fizzling into nothingness. Just outside of the red shield, Dudley swore he saw something black and smoke-like dart across the snowy field. He knew something had to be terribly wrong; a feeling of dread swelled up inside his gut.

"Dudley!" his mother cried, bursting into the room. "Thank goodness you're alright!" she cried, clutching onto him.

"Mum, what's going on?!" Dudley stammered, actually allowing his mother to hug him this time. His mother said nothing, but went pasty white as an especially large chunk of wall sizzled out.

That particular piece must have been like an invisible pillar, because seconds later the entire wall sort of imploded on itself. The rush of magic shattered his window inward, causing his mother to scream and pull him away. Bits of glass littered the floor, the now open hole in the wall let in the bitter cold.

"What the hell is happening?" Dudley's father yelled as he entered his son's room. Dedalus and Hestia were right on his heels.

"Everyone, try and stay calm!" Hestia ordered, "We need to get you out of here as soon as possible, we are under attack."

"Under attack?! You said you people would protect us! I knew we shouldn't have trusted any of your lot!" His father roared, clenching his fists as though he was about to punch the woman's nose in.

Hestia didn't even flinch at the gesture,"Well, you'll have to trust us anyways right now, because your other option is dying at the hands of Death Eaters," her voice cracked as she spoke.

Suddenly, just down the hall, they heard the splintering of wood as the front door was savagely being busted down.

"Quickly, you three get down to the cellar and head for the cellar doors that lead into the back garden, Miss Petiers will lead you to safety," Dedalus urged, motioning them down the hall.

"What about you guys?" Dudley asked as they hurried out."We'll keep them busy as long as possible...Miss. Petiers, there you are! Take them out through the cellar. Get past the Apparition wards and get them out of here!"

Dudley had to do a double take at the woman had appeared in front of the group. At first glance, he didn't recognize the mop of curly, golden hair, but he could see his friend's dark eyes underneath the blonde bangs she now donned. He wanted to question the disguise, but now was really not the right time.

"I'm not just leaving you both here!" Eve protested from the top of the stairs as the Dursleys ran past her. "I want to fight with you!"

"This isn't up for debate, you have to keep them safe!"

Eve gritted her teeth in frustration, it was obvious that she was not going to convince the small wizard."Where are we supposed to go?!" she asked.

"Anywhere they won't go looking for you! Go!" he cried, pushing her out of the doorway, and down the stairs. Dudley had to catch her a few steps down. Dedalus slammed the cellar door in their faces.

The cellar was incredibly dark. Eve quickly regained her balance and lit her wand up. The light emanated dully though out the room. She took a few deep breaths before speaking.

"Alright, everyone, quickly and quietly follow me," she whispered. Mr. Dursley was about to protest before Eve slapped a hand over his mouth.

"Shhhhh!" She hissed. There was another loud banging noise coming from upstairs accompanied by shouting. Though he gave her an affronted look, Dudley's father didn't try to say anything watched as she gave an involuntary shiver.

Eve waved her wand again, this time a black purse flew out from one of the cabinets and into her hands, she slung it over her arm and motioned for them to follow her.

The group quickly scurried over to the other side of the cellar, Eve made her way to the cellar doors and tapped her wand against its wooden surface. She closed her eyes in concentration.

"Nobody is waiting for us on the other side, good," She was speaking in a voice Dudley was barely able to hear. She waved her wand and the door quietly swung open, exposing them to the harsh winter wind.

"Okay, on my count, we are going to make a dash towards the woods, once there, we can Apparate out of here."

"Are you mad?" his father said in a harsh whisper "That has to be half a kilometer away!"*

"Well, if you have a better idea, I'm all for it," Eve snapped. His father was once again reduced to silence.

"Ready?" she asked them, gripping her wand tightly. "Three...t-"

With a sudden "Bang!" the outside wall of the kitchen crumbled as flames spider-webbed their way out of the gap.

Dudley couldn't remember if Eve had shouted for them the run, but next thing he knew they were hurrying through the snow in their socks and slippers towards the woods. Dudley had never ran so fast in his life. Dudley and his mother raced ahead of the other two, Eve stayed behind Mr. Dursley despite his slow pace.

When he reached the woods, he finally looked at the scene behind him. His mother cried frantically at his side as the flames consumed Marigold Cabin. Eve and his father were still several meters behind them. Dudley's eyes darted back towards the cabin where a cloaked figure stood at the open, fiery gap in the wall. The figure raised its wand at the runners.

"Dad! Eve! Look out!" Dudley shouted as loud as he could before an orange light shout out at the runners.

Quick to respond, Eve transfigured the snow into a shield of ice. The spell hit it, returning it to its previous, powdery state. She sent a burst of yellow light which the figure easily blocked.

Dudley's father slipped and fell from fear, struggling to get back up.

Several more flashes of light were exchanged back and fourth between the two of them. With each one the Death Eater advanced forward. Eve had managed to help his father up as she continued casting spells, trying to keep them at bay. The Death Eater shouted something loudly, sending a shock of emerald light at the two. Eve twisted around to defend the both of them, but succumbed to the slippery snow. The light went shooting over her, hitting Vernon Dursley right in the back. He fell face forward into the snow, unmoving. Dudley didn't want to believe it, but he knew deep inside that his father wouldn't be getting back up.

"Vernon!" Dudley's mother screamed as she attempted to run towards her husband. Dudley found himself instinctively pulling her back. He felt himself go into auto-pilot; everything sound seemed to deafen, every sight became blurred. He felt as if he was watching somebody else's life, rather than his own. That fallen man wasn't his father, it was somebody else's. Dudley felt his mother struggling and sobbing against him, but he only found himself holding onto her even tighter.

When Eve saw what happened, she let out a horrific cry like a wounded animal. With an impressive amount of agility, she leapt up and threw a ball of dark blue light at the enemy. The man screamed and fell to the ground, writhing in another wand motion, the enemy's wand flew into outstretched hands. She quickly stowed it away in her bag.

After several seconds of waiting to see if the Death Eater would get back up, she ran to where his father lay and let out another mournful cry. She stared at him for several moments, bowing her head.

Suddenly, another smokey black cloud zoomed into the sky, sending out a dark flash of magic. Above the cabin a figure of a skull and snake appeared, Dudley recoiled in fear as his mother let out another sob.

The thing was joined by several other ones as they circled the remains of the cabin. Terrified, Eve fled from the clearing and headed straight for the woods, leaving the body of his father behind.

"Wait!" a voice feebly cried out as a person stumbled from the wreckage. Eve stopped just in front of Dudley and his mother before looking back. The small figure struggled through the snow towards them. The flying mists seemed to have heard them cry out.

"Shit! Hold on to me," Eve demanded him. Robotically, he latched both his and his mother's hands onto her free arm.

"Accio, Mr. Diggle!" she cried out. The small figure many meters away came zipping towards them. The injured Dedalus flew into her outstretched arm. The black mists circling the cabin all directed their attention to the group and changed course, they were heading straight for them!

Eve closed her eyes in panic. Dudley could hear her mutter to herself.

"Somewhere where they can't find us, somewhere safe...somewhere where they would never, ever, look..." As the mists approached the edge of the woods, Eve turned on the spot.

* * *

Dudley once remembered asking the magical residents of Marigold Cabin what it felt like to teleport from place to place. Dedalus claimed it felt like being squeezed through a rubber tube. Hestia insisted it was like being smoothed by giant hands, yet Eve swore the sensation was akin to being sucked into a vacuum.

To Dudley, Apparition was none of those things. To him, his body felt frozen between one heartbeat and the next, like going down the stairs and missing a step, causing the body to panic like feeling it was about to fall.

Next thing he knew, he landed forcefully onto a carpeted floor. He heard others groan around him. Dudley weakly sat up to observe his surroundings. He had to clutch his stomach as a wave a nausea hit him.

They appeared to be in a very small living room. The space was only able to hold a love seat and an armchair. The walls were lined with a few bookshelves, the deep red wallpaper clashed with the multicolored carpeting.

"Who are you people?!" Someone exclaimed from behind them. Dudley turned to find a wand in his face. He stared up at the man in front of him, who appeard to be only a few years his senior. The striped pajamas he wore didn't quite mix with the serious expression on his face and his glasses sat askew on the end of his nose. His curly, vibrant hair almost matched the wall behind him.

Whether, Dudley's nausea was from the Apparition or the traumatic events that had just taken place, he didn't know. What he did know was that his response was him emptying the contents of his stomach onto the feet of the stranger in front of him.

* * *

*Roughtly between a quarter and a third of a mile* (Yeah, it's a large plot of land)

A/N: Surprised?! Who could be this mysterious person? Go on, guess; I'd love to see who people think it is. (Hopefully it is not too obvious!)

I don't know when I'll finish the next chapter...give me at least two weeks; if I don't post by then, bug me until I do! Thanks for reading!


	14. Chapter 13

A/N: Well, here's the next chapter. The mystery person is revealed and everything just seems to be heading in a downward spiral.

I'm not going to lie...this was not an easy chapter for me to write. It was difficult trying to give these people proper emotions without breaking their character. Then again, the beauty of using such minor characters is not having much to go by and being able to take some liberties.

Please, please read and review!

* * *

Chapter 13: A Broken Christmas

The man gaped down at Dudley and the vomit at his feet. The strength of the stench was almost enough to make him puke again, but his immense fear kept him from doing so. The man seemed to be completely at a loss for words. It took him several moments before he waved his wand over the mess, vanishing both it and the smell with a single spell. He then returned to pointing his wand at Dudley.

"Who are you people?" he repeated, his voice cold and calculating. Suddenly, a flash of blonde jumped between them. Eve aimed her wand directly between his eyes. Her curly disguise had become matted with melted snow.

"Who are you!?" she demanded, ready to strike at the stranger?

"I shouldn't have to indulge that information to you; this is my home!" he defended, his wand now pointed at her chest. "Who are you and how do you know my location?" the man's hand twitched, prepared to hex her.

Eve manually disarmed him, slapping his wand right out of his hand. The stranger gave her a horrified and look, as though her magic-less disarming was nothing less than appalling. Eve, however, smirked at his expression and slammed him up against the wall.

"Tell us who you are and where we are, now!" Eve hissed, forcing the tip of her wand against the hollow of his throat. "Or you'll sorely regret it..."

"Miss Petiers, no!" Dedalus warned, "This man isn't our enemy!" The small wizard stood up, clutching his left arm in pain. He hobbled over, forcing himself between them. Eve let out a huffy sigh, but lowered her wand. Dedalus looked up at the spectacled young man with a grim smile.

"Percy, my dear boy, I haven't seen you in years. How are you?" The man looked down in shock and adjusted his glasses.

"Dedalus Diggle?"

"Yes," he replied solemnly.

"What are you doing here...and who are they?" Percy asked, nodding to the people behind the elder wizard.

"Death Eaters..." Dedalus answered, not going into detail. From the look on the red head's face he didn't have to. "Hestia Jones, Miss Petiers and I were appointed to keep Harry Potter's muggle relatives safe..." he trailed off, seeming too distraught to continue.

"Mr. Diggle, where _is_ Ms. Jones?" Eve whispered, her voice cracking. The old wizard looked over his shoulder at her, his bright blue eyes were glassy and accompanied by a grave expression. He said nothing. Eve let out an odd sort of whimper, her hands twitching like they always did when she was anxious.

Dudley felt his stomach churn; he felt like he was going to be sick all over again. First his father and now...Dudley closed his eyes, trying to keep what little amount of composure he still had to refrain from puking. He turned his attention to his mother, who lay just inches to his left. Her eyes were wide with fear and anguish, her pale body trembled in silent tears. Dudley sat up, and forced his mother to do the same, he sat her down on the small love seat, trying to comfort her the best he could.

Percy glanced over at Dudley and his mother, concern lining his face.

"Why come here of all places...how do you even know where I live?" he asked Dedalus after a long pause.

"I'm not entirely sure, it was Miss Petiers that Apparated us all here," the two looked over to Eve, who appeared to be just as confused as the rest of them. The red headed man stepped closer to her, and held out his hand in a formal gesture.

"Percy Weasley, have we met before?" he asked, his eye fixated on her face, as though he might recognize her.

_ Another Weasley_? Dudley briefly thought. _How many magical Weasley's were there?_! Then again, he probably shouldn't have been so surprised, the red hair was a dead giveaway but, at the moment he could not honestly care less who the guy was, as long as they were safe.

"No, though I believe I have heard of you" Eve deadpanned, her eyes narrowing as she cautiously took his hand.

"Funny, I have never heard of you."

Eve ignored his statement and continued,"I was only looking for a safe place, somewhere that the Death Eaters wouldn't go looking for us. I guess I really didn't have a set destination..." she stopped abruptly, seeming unsure of the whole ordeal.

Dudley vaguely remembered reading something about that sort of Apparation that a few months ago at the Cabin...Dudley shook his head to clear his thoughts, he didn't even want to acknowledge anything about that place right now.

"I suppose it doesn't matter how you got here, the main thing is that you are out of danger for now...I'm not exactly sure how I can help, but I'll try my best," Percy said a bit doubtfully. Eve let out a relaxed breath, turning her attention to her comrade.

"Let me look at your arm, Mr. Diggle," she said, noticing the way he gripped it in pain. Dedalus nodded and sat down in the chair nearby. Eve gently ran her fingers across the top of his arm, Dedalus flinched.

"Can you move your hand and fingers?"

Percy Weasley picked up his wand from the floor and walked over to Dudley and his mother, turning his attention away from the other two.

"Are either of you two injured?" he asked, his voice barely above a whisper. Petunia said nothing, not even bothering to glance up. Dudley looked at his mother; she was shaken and clearly distraught, but physically appeared to be uninjured. Dudley felt like he was about to topple over from the terrible stress of the night, but he slowly shook his head.

Percy gave them a small frown, "Do you need something to drink, something that might help settle your nerves?"

_Three full bottles of Firewhiskey sounds good_, Dudley though dryly. What did it matter anyways? Calming his nerves wasn't going to bring Hestia or his father back. Despite his inner thoughts, he nodded.

"Tea?" Percy asked. He just nodded again, whatever it took to get the ginger out of his face. Percy sighed and walked out of the living room, presumably to the kitchen.

"Just as I thought," Eve said to Dedalus, "It's dislocated, we are going to have to set it back in."

"I believe there is a spell for that," Dedalus said with a nod, "Do you know it?"

"Of course I do, But it's a certified Healer's spell...I haven't gone through the training, I could easily mess up and end up injuring you a lot more," Eve pinched the bridge of her nose. "The safest bet is for us to set it manually." Dedalus made a face, but didn't protest.

Dudley figured Percy must have made the tea magically, because he hadn't been gone more than a minute before returning with two steaming cups of tea.

"Sorry, I don't have any sugar," he apologized, handing Dudley a cup. Dudley shrugged and immediately set his on the side table, not really interested in having any. His mother remained motionless, staring at the tea cup on her lap.

"Where are we exactly?" Dudley finally asked, uncomfortable with Percy just staring at him.

"In London, this is my apartment," Percy answered. London?! Dudley wasn't sure where in England they had been previously, but he knew it had to be hundreds of kilometers away from London. That was a long distance to Apparate.

"Weasley," Eve called, looking over her shoulder. "I could use some assistance, please."

Percy gave a visible shiver at the sound of her authoritative voice, as though he had heard it before. Nonetheless, he walked over to help.

"I need you to hold Mr. Diggle still while I pop his arm back into his socket," she explained.

"How barbaric!" Percy exclaimed, looking at her like she was crazy.

"Are you a Healer? Do you know the risks of improper healing spells?" She asked icily, glaring at him. He just stared at her blankly.

"That's what I thought, now either help me or get out of my way."

The expression on Percy's face matched the way Dudley had used to react when Eve had an abrasive attitude. She could be downright scary when she wanted to be.

Dudley couldn't help but flinch and look away when Eve set Dedalus's arm back, he swore he could hear it pop back into place.

"Thank you," she said to Percy, her tone switching to a softer, kinder one. "Feel better Mr. Diggle?"

"Yes, thank you," Dedalus responded, flexing his once immobile arm. Eve gave him a weak smile before standing up and turning around.

Dudley could almost hear her mind switching gears when she glanced over at him and his mother on the couch. Her pale complexion had shaded to a sickly green. She staggered over to the couch and kneeled down in front of him and his mother. Eve placed a trembling hand on his arm. She stared up at them with shiny, dark eyes.

"Dudley...Mrs. Dursley...I-I'm so sorry. I thought I could protect all of you, I was wrong. I'm sorry; his death was all my fault," she choked a little on the last few words, failing miserably to cover it with a cough.

Dudley felt a flood of emotions overcome him. He had the desire to avoid, hug and punch her all at once. He knew she was being completely sincere and was grieving, but he somehow felt totally hollow to her words. He didn't know how to respond and continued to quietly stare back at her.

Petunia Dursley, who had been almost entirely silent since they had arrived in Percy's home, had a completely different reaction.

"Sorry?!" his mother spat "My husband is dead because of you!" She loomed over the kneeling girl, who's eyes were now widened with fear. "You took my husband away from me, just like your slimy father took away my sister!"

With a fit of rage, she tossed the hot tea that had been setting in her lap right at let out a painful cry, covering her now reddened arm and face.

"MUM! What the hell?!" Dudley shouted, grabbing ahold of her before she decided to lunge at his friend. His mother's mouth open and closed rapidly, like a fish out of water. She looked nearly as shocked as the rest of them did before returning to her previous, emotionless state.

Dedalus and Percy rushed to the witch's aid.

"Oh, dear," Dedalus whispered as he hobbled over, his body obviously still injured, "Let me see it," he coaxed, gently prying her hands away from her face. Dudley cringed at the sight of her bright red skin that looked like a terrible sunburn. A lock of her fake blonde hair fell onto her cheek. Eve let out a moan.

"This damn hair!" Eve cried, gingerly trying to grab something at the back of her head.

"Hey, I recognize that..." Percy said, pulling the object from her hair that she had been trying to get ahold of. "This is one of Fred and George's products!" He exclaimed, holding a purple clip between his fingers. Within seconds, Eve's golden locks quickly dissolved back to slick, black curtians.

The look on Percy's face was pretty priceless, despite the serious situation.

"I knew there was something familiar about you..." He growled, glaring down at Eve.

"Percy..." Dedalus warned, "Now, isn't the time."

"But, Severus Snape-"

"You of all people, Percy Weasley, should understand that it's unfair to compare a person to thier family," Dedalus snapped, cutting him short. Percy looked dumbstruck, his ears turned a funny shade of reddish-purple and he didn't press the matter further.

"Help me guide her into the kitchen for some better lighting," Percy gave him a reluctant nod, roughly helping the half blinded girl to her feet.

"Dudley," Dedalus said "...Keep an eye on your mother," he shot Dudley's mother a sharp glare. Dudley had never seen Mr. Diggle show any sort of anger before.

"There's some burn salve in my purse," Eve croaked as they began to walk out of the room. Dedalus picked up the worn bag as they descended down the hall.

"Mum, what were you thinking!" Dudley demanded, trying to shake her out of her trance. Her eyes blinked rapidly, before focusing again. She stared at him for several seconds before bursting into tears. Dudley held onto his mother as she sobbed into his nightshirt. He let her cry for several minutes before allowing himself to shed a few tears of his own.

-That morning, Dudley lay silently on a cot in Percy's bedroom, staring at the blank wall in front of him. Percy was snoring quietly on the bed nearby and he could hear Dedalus's heavy breathing in the cot next to him.

Dudley couldn't sleep; his mind was a twisted mess.

_My father is dead._

_How can I feel pain, and yet feel nothing at all?_

_What if Eve hadn't fallen in the snow and the curse hit her instead?_

_Don't think like that._

_We might have all died._

_My father is dead._

_What had his mother been ranting about?_

_Why did Percy act that way when Dedalus mentioned not comparing someone to family?_

_My mother is going off the deep end._

_Because, my father is dead_.

Yesterday, he had been playing out in the snow, like a carefree child. He had been happy for the upcoming holiday.

Today was Christmas and his father and Hestia were dead.

* * *

A/N: yeah, you guys are good guessers. Then again, I shouldn't have made it so obvious. Percy was another character I found myself wondering about; where was he that whole year? How did he know of the battle at Hogwarts? What was his reactionfall the government falling into the enemy's hands?! These need to be answered...plus I think this Weasley needed a little love.

Like it? Hate it? Please review, it keeps me going and can help me learn from my mistakes!


	15. Chapter 14

A/N: Well, it certainly has been a long time since I've posted, and I appologize. I hope you all haven't given up on me. College was keeping me busy for a while and I became a little lazy since summer starte. Sorry, I'll try not to wait so long again.

Thank you for reading, please review!

* * *

Chapter 14: All Cards on the Table

"Get up," A disembodied voice commanded through the sea of darkness. His black world was being shaken by an outside force. Dudley groaned, pushing air from the bottom of his lungs and up through his recently neglected vocal cords. His throat felt dry and scratchy. He swatted at the hand resting on his shoulder, not even bothering to open his eyes; he enjoyed the emptiness of the dark world behind his eyelids. Even if he wanted to, it would be difficult to do so with the layer of crust he felt on them.

"Come on, get up now," the voice said with a more firm tone. Dudley shuddered; he hated, absolutely loathed, that voice. It jabbed into his brain like an ice pick.

"Get up before I hex you out," the voice warned. Dudley inwardly scoffed at the hollow threats; he had no desire to move. He was suddenly pushed off of his cot by a large burst of air. He fell to the floor, completely tangled in his his eyes open, he glared up into the brown eyes that looked down at him.

Dudley truly, deeply, wanted to hate Percy Weasley and moments like these fueled that passion. He hated those obnoxious horn-rimmed glasses and his "I am better than thou" mannerisms, and his voice made Dudley want to punch the git in the face every time he heard it.

Despite this, Dudley could not bring himself to hate the guy.

Percy Weasley had become a rock for the survivors of Marigold Cabin. The week they had been there, Percy did his best to take care of them all. He disappeared off to work for most of the day, only to return to the apartment late in the evening with food to cook, then he would make them all supper. He even made sure Dudley ate each night before heading off to bed only to do it all over again the next day.

"Fine," Dudley spat as he sat up, his eyes still locked on Percy.

"And take a shower, you smell disgusting," Percy wrinkled his nose.

Dudley stood to tell him off, but one whiff told him otherwise. He settled for gritting his teeth as he pushed past the bespectacled man.

Dudley tromped down the hall towards the bathroom, he paused for a moment at the study door, where his mother was staying. Dudley hadn't seen his mum since Christmas morning. Dudley's stomach lurched, Christmas felt like yesterday and yet a million years ago, if that were somehow possible. Just the thought of that night still made him feel sick to his stomach. He debated knocking on the door, just to check in on her, but withdrew his hand at last second.

Down the hall, Dudley could hear Eve bustling around the kitchen. Ever since that night, Dudley would hear her constantly moving around the apartment, as though she was unable to sit still. Dudley paused to listen to Eve mumble something, presumably to Dedalus because a voice from the other side of the kitchen responded.

Part of Dudley wanted to walk in and rejoin the living, to pretend that everything was alright, but the weight of reality was too heavy to ignore. Quietly, he entered the bathroom, not wanting to draw attention to himself.

* * *

After a long, hot shower and a pair of Percy's clothes that had been magically adjusted to fit him,giving Dudley another reason to hate not being able to hate the guy.

By the time Dudley was ready to interact with the world, it was late afternoon- almost supper time. He couldn't believe how whacked out his sleeping schedule had become. Oddly enough, he wasn't very hungry either.

By the time he had made his was to the kitchen, he could smell warm tomato sauce. Eve stood alone in the kitchen, too busy preparing spaghetti to notice him standing in the doorway.

"Sup?"

Eve did a funny jump, nearly dropping the spoon she was holding.

"Dudley!" she cried "...Don't do that!"

"Sorry," he coughed, scratching the back of his neck in hesitation. He might have found scaring her humorous at one point, but he couldn't even seem to crack a smile anymore.

"Don't worry about it," Eve said after taking a deep breath, "It's good to see you out and about again,"

"It's been a rough week..." Eve nodded, not making eye contact with him.

"Hey, where's Dedalus...and Percy?" he asked, noticing the absence sound of footsteps moving around the apartment.

" Percy went out to buy some food for tomorrow, and hopefully some clothing as well...Mr. Diggle retired for the evening, he hasn't been feeling his best lately."

"Oh," was all Dudley managed to respond with.

"...Would you like to help me? We just need to wait for the noodles to finish up."

"Sure," Dudley nodded. It felt good to finally be up and doing something.

* * *

After dropping off plates of spaghetti to his mother and Dedalus, Dudley and Eve sat down to a very quiet dinner, both of them were too impatient to wait for Percy to return to sit down.

It was difficult for Dudley to eat, he hadn't had much food the past few days, let alone while sitting at a table. He chewed each bite several times with dull concentration, forcing himself to think of nothing but the basic motions of eating.

Eve didn't appear to be enjoying her dinner either; she just kept twirling her noodles on her plate into a tangled mess, and only picked at pieces of her Texas toast.

In the middle of his thirteenth bite, Dudley was snapped out of his chewing trance at the sound of Percy coming through the front door. He heard the creaking and final slam it created and the thump of Percy tossing his shoes on the floor. The two of them turned to see the exhausted Weasley as he entered the kitchen, his arms full with a large paper bag.

"...I smell food," he simply stated, rather than greeting them.

"Spaghetti is in the pan," Eve answered, nodding towards the fire place.

"Ah," He responded, placing the bag onto the countertop, "I have some more food for tomorrow. He rummaged through the bag and pulled out a smaller, plastic one.

"Oh, Eve, I found you some clothes," Percy threw the bag towards the girl, who caught it.

"Yes, thank you!" Eve said in the most cheerful tone she had used all week. She pulled out a pair of jeans and two t-shirts from the bag. They looked worn but clean. Percy had been slowly gathering clothing for each of them the past few days with the remainder of his paycheck, up until today, Eve had gone around wearing her pajamas or a set of Percy's robes. She seemed very pleased with the gift he had given her.

Percy gave her a ghost of a smile in return before pulling out his wand. With a simple figure eight motion, a plate flew from the cupboard and the spoon magically ladled a helping of spaghetti onto it. It then placed itself gently onto the table, waiting for him to consume it.

Percy flopped down into his chair, he looked exhausted, despite the fact that he hadn't had to work today.

"You look completely spent," Eve acknowledged as she observed the purplish bags under his eyes, "Maybe you should get some rest,"

"What I do is none of your concern," Percy snapped irritably. He noticed the pestered expressions Dudley and Eve both wore and took a deep breath. "Besides, I can not sleep anyways..." Percy yawned, "Not with the knowledge that I have to return to the Ministry tomorrow and suffer through another week of it's chaos,"

"That bad?" Dudley found himself asking. He bit his lip, regretting the question after witnessing the glare Percy had given him.

"Stricter rules, enhanced security, the awful Pureblood propaganda, not to mention the continuous Muggleborn hunts,"Eve visibly shuddered, setting her fork onto the table with a trembling hand.

"Horrific."

"Not to mention that several Ministry employees have recently begun disappearing...the decent, honest, ones," Percy sighed before taking a bite of his dinner, he swallowed and continued, "One day they are in their offices and the next their desks are emptied, with no prior indication of retirement or resignation letter,"

"Oh no, do you have any idea what might have happened to them?" Eve asked.

"I would like to think that they were able to flee the country, but with the ironclad border control the new Ministry has set up, it seems very unlikely. No, I think something much more sinister is behind it...Just the other day Fabian Prinnette disappeared, he works in the same department as my father," Percy's face paled, "He and my father are friends," Percy Weasley had quickly stopped talking and stared down at his plate, he let out a small sniff. Eve cautiously reached to pat his shoulder, he swatted hit away.

"My father could be next!" He barked," I know the Ministry has been keeping tabs on him and my entire family. I came across their files in Umbridge's office,"

Dudley had know idea who that was, but he vaguely remembered hearing that name on his wireless radio weeks ago.

"Are they following you as well?" Eve asked with worry for everyone's safety.

"Not that I know of," Percy said, "The Ministry knows I have ostracized myself from my family," He crossed his arms in a defensive manner, as though he was subconsciously hugging himself.

"Why would you do that?" Dudley wondered what would cause someone to break away from their own family. Eve shot him a look that suggested that he should just keep his big mouth shut.

"Years ago, I though they were wrong. I foolishly believed the Ministry when it denied You-Know-Who's return, when both Harry Potter and Dumbledore said he had returned. I told my father and my family that they shouldn't listen to the likes of a teenager and an insane old man. I knew by supporting the minority's views, that they were in for trouble and I couldn't afford to go down with them, not with my new career that I had worked so hard to earn...It wasn't until Scrimgeour's death that I had realized my mistake, but by then it was too late..."

The three of them sat in silence for a moment, one relived his bad decisions while the other two tried to reflect upon his pain and remorse.

"I chose my job and the Daily Profit over my own family, and now I can't even make amends because I would be endangering both them and myself by reconnecting with them. I don't want my father to disappear like Prinnette!" Percy pinched the bridge of his nose and took a few deep breaths to calm himself down."I don't even think they could forgive me for betraying them like that..."

"Bullshit." Percy and Dudley both turned to look at Eve, who now donned a rather serious expression.

"Excuse me?"

"I said that your last statement was utter bullshit. I've meet a good chunk of your family when I approached the Order, they were all very kind...especially your father," Eve said dryly, as she fiddled with her paper looked up at her with glassy eyes.

"When I finally found the Order, they treated me with quite a bit of hostility. Mad-Eye was convinced that I was a spy for Snape, and most of the others were inclined to agree with them...But, Arthur, he spoke up for me. He convinced the others to hear me out. Maybe he just saw my desperation and pitied me, but he still gave me a chance, and I was a complete stranger. You're his son; at the very least, I know he'll listen to you," Eve continued as she began tearing her napkin to bits. "With all that has been happening, I'm sure nothing is more important than being with family, in spite of the past,"

Dudley felt a sharp pain in his abdomen, the death of his father and distance with his mother physically pained him.

"What about your family?" Percy pointed out. He folded his hands and used them to prop up his chin, as though daring her to amuse him.

"What about it?" Eve huffed, crumbling the remnants of her napkin onto her plate.

"Your mother and...father," Percy sneered. Dudley straighten up in his seat; suddenly much more alert to the conversation. There were so many things he wished he knew about Eve's life.

"I mean, if my father listened to you and you were able to convince the Order that your intentions were good, it must be a thrilling story."

"Not particularly, it's very mundane to what one would believe, but it was simple enough that it could easily be backed up with a dose of Veritaserum."

Dudley didn't know what Veritaserum was, but she had made it sound like it was a valid source.

"Care to enlighten us then?"Eve glared at Percy, who had gone from showing pain and remorse to inquisitive and a little snarky. He gave her a half smirk. Dudley stared at him in both admiration and bit her lip, knowing the ginger had backed her into a corner.

"...Fine, but I think I'd like a drink first." Percy snorted, but waved his wand in a series of flicking motions.

"I suppose I could use a drink myself." Out of thin air, three cups appeared on the table in front of them. From one of the furthest cupboards, a bottle of Firewhiskey floated its way over into Percy's outstretched hands. He poured Eve a drink and shoved it towards her.

"Here," he muttered, staring at her intently.

"Give me a damn minute," Eve growled. She grabbed the glass and chugged down a large portion of it. Percy followed her example, making a bigger dent in his drink, as though setting a watched as the two finished off their drinks, never seeming to break eye contact. He looked at his empty cup. Reluctantly, he poured himself a little Firewhiskey.

"Alright, care to explain yourself now?"

"Okay, okay...ask me anything you want, just pour me another drink."

"Heh...I like your thinking," Percy snorted as he filled each of their cups with another round of Firewhiskey. "But, I have to admit that I still don't completely trust you,"

"Join the club," Eve muttered between two large gulps of alcohol. "Despite the evidence, it seems nobody really does..."

"I trust you," Dudley deadpanned. Eve raised a brow, but her lips twitched into a ghost of a smile. Dudley felt his blood run to his cheeks and he took another swig of his drink.

"What I don't understand is the reason why you are partaking in this war, when the States have refused to get involved," Percy sniffed, adjusting his glasses.

"Isn't it obvious? To clear my name; Severus Snape is the most hated man in the Wizarding world, right under You-Know-Who. With his face plastered all over the papers, I knew it wouldn't take others long to make a connection between us, especially my peers..." Eve sighed, "Hours after Dumbledore's murder, I disguised myself and internationally Flooed to London, just before they put up tighter regulations between us and Great Britain."

"How do we know your not in contact with Snape? You could be a spy for the Death Eaters! You obviously had to be in contact with him to know he was your father," Percy growled, attempting to maintain a lower voice level.

"Wow, those questions bring up memories...the Order of the Phoenix asked me the same exact thing," Eve chuckled dryly. "No, I have never met nor have ever had any contact with Severus Snape."

"Then how...?"

"Her Potions textbooks," Dudley answered, remembering the scowling man in the index pages of a second year book.

"Yes, my friend Bobbie found his picture in the back of our textbooks while working on a research paper for school. It certainly shocked us...That, and the fact that my mother distinctly recalls a man named Severus during an outing in London..." Eve added with scowl.

"No...way..." Percy managed to say as he tried not to choke on his Firewhiskey, "Your mother took Snape on a day trip?! I need a cleaning spell done on my brain!" he laughed stupidly through his coughs. I was becoming obvious that the alcohol was starting to catch up to him. Eve glared and smacked him on the side of the head,

"You're making my mother sound like a total whore."

"Well, you're not exactly putting her in good light with an explanation like that," Percy chuckled uncharacteristically. He took off his glasses and proceeded to clean them with the hem of his robes.

"Hey, it was a one time incident..."

"So far as you know," Percy blurted just before dodging another blow aimed at his face. Dudley gripped the edge of the table, imagining that it was the idiot's neck.

"Sorry," the Weasley said once he caught a glimpse of Eve's expression "...but seriously, I am curious as to how they met. Your mother is a witch, right?"

"Actually, no, she is not."

Percy raised an eyebrow in surprise. Dudley, however, just shrugged. Eve had mentioned she was raised in the Muggle world before.

"Well, I'm sure she didn't tell me everything that happened the night that they...met up...Though, I'm not sure she completely remembers herself," Eve took another sip of her drink. "Mom told me she was part of a school program that was sent to London, near the end of their stay, she and a couple of friends went pub crawling,"

"I like their thinking."

"Right about now, so do I..." Eve sighed, "Anyways, at some point she was separated from her friends. Unfamiliar with London, and a little more than tipsy, she aimlessly wandered the streets. She said at some point she saw a group of people in funny clothing. My mother followed behind them for a while as they talked about grabbing a drink. Thinking that they were some eccentric partiers, she quickly ran into a small pub with them, through a door she swore hadn't been their before...she blamed it on the drinking."

"Sounds like the Leaky Cauldron, it's the only decent place to grab a drink in the city," Percy said, "That would explain why she couldn't see the door either,"

"Makes sense, she talked about seeing a lot of strange things happening, like floating chairs and mugs that refilled themselves, but she thought she had stumbled in on a group of magicians," Eve elaborated, "That's when she met...him,"

"Ahh...,okay. I see how this is starting to come together. Still, I can't imagine Snape getting friendly with a Muggle."

"I don't think he knew she wasn't a witch, from what my mother remembers, he had already consumed several drinks himself. Said he was sniveling into his glass about a woman who had just married an idiot,"

"Did he mention her name?" Percy asked.

"How the hell should I know?! I wasn't there," she responded bitterly. She and Percy stared each other down, and drained the rest of their Firewhiskey. Percy reached for the bottle, but Eve quickly seized it to pour herself another glass.

"So, you never attempted to contact him?" Dudley asked Eve, trying to move the conversation along, hoping that their unspoken competition wouldn't turn violent.

"I did think about it..." Eve said after a moment of contemplation, "But, I wasn't sure what I was going to say to a man that lived half way around the world that had gone thirteen years without knowledge of my existence,"

Dudley felt she had a valid point; how would one go about in a situation like that? He wasn't sure how he would of reacted to something like that...he knows his father...

Dudley nearly spat out his drink in self loathing at the thought of almost forgotten his situation

Correction;he **knew** his father.

"I didn't want to bother somebody I didn't even know," Eve continued,"...I never even told my mother that I discovered who he was...She never liked talking about that situation much, I didn't want to re-open her wounds..."

"Then what did you tell her when you escaped to England?"

"I left her a note telling her everything and begged her to move elsewhere, to avoid any persecution. I didn't have time to wait for her to return from work...I'm not particularly proud of that moment..." Eve bowed her head, her face was unusually rosy beneath her curtains of hair. She muttered something unintelligible and shook her head.

"...You know what I still don't understand?" Dudley said, trying to bring her out of her moment of self loathing.

"What?"

"I don't understanding how my mum knows Snape."

The three of them simultaneously turned to look down the hall towards the study door. Dudley wondered how he could manage to weasel the information out of his mother, but now was definitely not the time. He was sure neither of them had the energy to talk about such things at the moment. Suddenly, Percy broke the silence.

"So, you never, ever, contacted him in any way, even though he's your biological father?" Percy reiterated, after finishing himself another glass. His eyes seemed to be a bit more unfocused and his mind obviously wasn't up to par.

"Yes," Eve snapped at the now drunken red head.

"Alright, alright...I believe you...yeesh," Percy said, finishing up the last of the bottle.

"Do you really think that was such a good idea?" Eve badgered the Weasley.

"Yeah, don't you have to be to work by seven tomorrow?" Dudley added, looking into his own, still full, glass.

"Shiiiiit," Percy moaned, scratching the back of his head.

"Don't worry, I can make some Hangover Cure for you to take tomorrow," Eve grumbled. She swayed as she stood up, the alcohol having rushed to her head. She had to grip the table to steady herself.

"I'll make it," Dudley offered, recalling seeing it in a third year book, like many potions, it didn't require the use of magic. "I've slept enough the past few days to last me a week, you two should get some rest,"

Percy stared at him, dumbfounded. Eve punched him in the arm. Percy let out a yelp and gripped his arm in pain.

"Just 'cuz he's he lacks magic doesn't mean he lacks brains," Eve scoffed, and turned to give Dudley, giving him a wink

It was Dudley's turn to look a little dumbfounded.

"I guess I could show you where my potions belongings are," Percy said, looking a bit sheepish.

"Ug, alright. I'm going to bed," Eve yawned, waving them goodnight.

Dudley spent the next few hours preparing the Hangover Cure, in case either of them needed it the next morning.

* * *

A/N: This is the longest chapter I have written thus far. I hope it makes up for my tardiness. Sorry if it comes off a little boring, it is very dialogue ridden, but it had to be said.


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